metroMAGAZINE APR/MAY 2022 Issue

0-CVRS-422.qxp_QUARTERLY 4/7/22 3:49 PM Page CVR1

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

CELEBRATING 125 years!

where wonder lives ConneCting our Community

•

Spiritofomaha.Com

•

apriL/may 2022

mmagazine • omaha zoo foundation 2022

0-CVRS-422.qxp_QUARTERLY 4/13/22 2:22 PM Page CVR2

1-6-LEAD SECTION-422.qxp_QUARTERLY 4/13/22 12:28 PM Page 1

1-6-LEAD SECTION-422.qxp_QUARTERLY 4/13/22 12:28 PM Page 2

in this ISSUE

cover story

7

CELEBRATING 125 YEARS! omaha’s henry doorly zoo • where wonder lives

connecting our community

7

featured in this issue

50

WOMEN WHO WOW presented by planitinc.

71

connecting to our wonder

SPONSORED CONTENT:

THE MISSING PIECE by peggy sokol

departments/columns

54

SWARTZBAUGH, FARBER & ASSOC. your money

55

metroSPIRIT with mary vandenack

56

VANDENACK WEAVER LLC planning matters

57

STEPHANIE VONDRAK impact!

events

59

connecting to our WOW

SCENE highlights from recent charity & cultural events

50

connecting to our benefactors

20 2

mmagazine • aPRiL/maY 2022

photo courtesy of dwyer photography

1-6-LEAD SECTION-422.qxp_QUARTERLY 4/13/22 12:28 PM Page 3

cReditS

metromagazine is wholly owned and operated by the publisher and is not affiliated with any other publication, operating solely on subscription and advertising revenues and the good will of the agencies and charities we support; all of which are very important to the continuing growth and quality of this publication. thank you to all who support this endeavor.

OFFICE/SALES

402.932.3522 | sales@Spiritofomaha.com

metromagazine 2022 edition • voL. 34 no. 2 Press releases and other editorial information may be sent to: P.o. box 241611, omaha, ne 68124 or e-mailed to: editor@Spiritofomaha.com Publisher/Editor-in-Chief andrea L. “andee” hoig

Creative Collaboration elissa Joy Jim Scholz

MISSION STATEMENT aLh Publications exists to inform, inspire and connect those who give back to the community through volunteerism and philanthropy, recognizing the ongoing efforts of area businesses, organizations and individuals who better our community.

partner with us...

MAKE THE CONNECTION!

“We have generations of individuals that have passion, and generations that have need.

When those two meet, great relationships occur. metroMAGAZINE and The Giving Guide & Event Book consistently help connect and foster those relationships.” ~ Nate dodge PReSident, nP dodge comPanY

contents of this magazine are copyrighted by aLh Publications, inc. in their entirety. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without prior written consent of the publisher. ©copyright 1990 – 2022 aLh Publications, inc. all rights reserved.

Kara Schweiss

Editor/Creative Director Rob Killmer

Swartzbaugh-Farber & associates Stephanie vondrak d.d.S.

Community Engagement connect@Spiritofomaha.com

402.932.3522 • CONNECT@SpiritofOmaha.com

vandenack | weaver | truhlsen m

Special Thanks Printco graphics

ichael J. weaver, J.d.

What else is possible in 2022?

CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY

with ANDEE Hoig podcast

3

mmagazine • aPRiL/maY 2022

1-6-LEAD SECTION-422.qxp_QUARTERLY 4/13/22 12:28 PM Page 4

RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW! THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO GIVING! 12 MONTHS OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

The Giving Guide & Event Book 2022/23 • Nonprofit profiles & signature events • Corporate Giving Stories

something DIFFERENT! something NEW!

• Faces of Philanthropy • Heartland Heroes: Recognizing volunteers, businesses & those making difference in the Omaha metro!

• Community Excellence Awards The BIG Event

PRESENTED BY

Email us at CONNECT@SpiritofOmaha.com Email Subject: “Something NEW 2022!”

PUBLISHER ANDREA “ANDEE” HOIG

CALL DIRECT: (402) 706-8260

WHAT ELSE IS

POSSIBLE IN 2022 & BEYOND?

1-6-LEAD SECTION-422.qxp_QUARTERLY 4/13/22 12:29 PM Page 5

words FROM MY HEART

mmagazine • LetteR FRom the PubLiSheR

WHAT ELSE IS possible?

I have said this often: we live in a pretty amazing city. The Omaha metro area is filled with an abundance of art and culture events, beautiful venues to watch performances, world-class restaurants… the list goes on and on.

Much of this issue is devoted to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium’s 125th anniversary, and offers people a look at the past, present and future of one of the best zoos in the country and the world.

I remember visiting the zoo when I was a child. It was always an exciting adventure to spend an afternoon at what was—at the time—a pretty darn small, average zoo in South Omaha.

Oh, how our zoo has transformed over the past several decades! Today’s zoo is magical and miraculous. The visionaries behind the transformation certainly were not thinking small. The question “What Else is Possible?” created something magnificent, extraordinary and one-of-a-kind that I know some didn’t think was possible.

andRea L. hoig ahoig@Spiritofomaha.com

Our zoo (and I use the word “our” on purpose; the zoo is very much a part of me) is so much more than a zoo. As a member of the media, I remember being granted access to the Lied Jungle when it was merely dirt. I also remember photographing the donor patron party in 1992 when the new attraction was ready to welcome the community. I continued to attend and photograph exhibit after amazing exhibit for years to come. It was always so fun and special to be one of the first to walk through and experience the magic and wonderment.

To me it is also mind-blowing knowing and understanding the impact our zoo has had on the visitors who spend hours exploring, on our community and on the world.

The animals who find their way here or are born here are loved and cared for. The education, research and conservation efforts impact communities, organizations and millions of animals around our beautiful planet.

I could go on and on and on about our zoo but I am going to let you read about it for yourself. I bet you will learn a few things that you did not know about Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

Thank you to all who kept asking and keep asking: “What Else is Possible?”

With gratitude, ANDEE

podcast

with ANDEE Hoig 5

mmagazine • aPRiL/maY 2022

1-6-LEAD SECTION-422.qxp_QUARTERLY 4/13/22 12:29 PM Page 6

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 7

CELEBRATING 125 years!

where wonder lives OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

celebrating

125 years!

7

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 8

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is considered one of the best zoos in the country and also known worldwide. Its mission is to inspire, educate and engage people to serve as lifelong stewards for the conservation of animals and their habitats.

CELEBRATING 125 years!

8

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 9

stOry by KARA SCHWEISS • phOtOs prOvided cOurtesy OF omAHA zoo foundAtIon

LEADERSHIP

• mmagazine

letter

We are proud to introduce this issue of metroMAGAZINE celebrating Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, and the visionaries, leaders, patrons and team members who have made the Zoo what it is today. Because, ultimately, the story of the Zoo is first and foremost a story of people—of passionate individuals who hold a deep care for the wild creatures of this world and the nature we share in common.

What an appropriate moment to celebrate! After all, the past two years have seen the Zoo go through so many milestones and transitions: Our 125th anniversary. The pandemic which represented the most challenging period in our history. And, of course, the recent passing of one of the Zoo’s most enduring patrons, Walter Scott, Jr. Yes, it’s been a time of commemoration, challenge and loss; but also of profound optimism for the future.

As you’ll see in the following pages, the Zoo has come a long way from its beginnings as a simple gathering place for picnics, fishing and baseball games at Riverview Park to a true global leader in conservation, animal care and education. Today’s Zoo provides some of the most immersive wildlife environments and experiences imaginable. It is a living classroom that welcomes millions of visitors, cares for 14,000 animals, provides programs that reach more than 150,000 children annually and supports multiple conservation projects around the world to protect endangered and threatened species and their habitats, from Africa to South America to our oceans.

Those numbers and details are impressive. But again, it’s the people behind them that tell a deeper story. And in this issue, you’ll hear from some of them. The Zoo employees who work tirelessly to care for the animals, educate our youth and create an amazing experience for our guests. The volunteers who, together, donate 50,000 hours of time each year. Our everyday donors and our patron members who power the financial engine that makes what we do possible.

Of course, you’ll also encounter past leaders and visionaries, such as Lee ‘Doc’ Simmons, whose intellect and passion laid out the Zoo’s path to a global role in animal care and conservation. Walter Scott, whose passion and big-picture thinking are rooted in the Zoo’s foundations as deeply as our trees and lush greenery. And other notable families whose names, along with the Scotts, are built into our very bricks and stone — the Grewcocks, Hubbards, Daughertys, Owens and Durhams.

You’ll see the influence of these leaders and visionaries everywhere. The Scott African Grasslands and Scott Aquarium. Hubbard Gorilla Valley. The Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion. The Robert B. Daugherty Education Center. Owen Sea Lion Shores. The Harper Event Center. And many more amazing exhibits and experiences to come.

Yes, we dedicate this issue to the countless people who have built the Zoo into what it is today—and to those who are carrying our bold mission into the future.

In these all-too-brief pages, you’ll get a glimpse of where we’ve been, where we are and where we are going. You’ll hear a few stories of many kinds of people who play so many different, and vital, roles. But most importantly, we hope you’ll feel the beating heart of the Zoo in everyone who has ever cared for the wild creatures that make the Zoo their home.

Dennis Pate President and CEO Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Tina Cherica President Omaha Zoo Foundation

where wonder lives celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 10

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

WHERE wonder LIVES ZOO FORMED OFFICIALLY Riverview Park acquires land and animals, offically forming the Zoo

1895

OMAHA ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY created for administration of the Zoo

1952

New name: Margaret Hitchcock Doorly donates $750K in Henry Doorly’s name

SIMMONS AVIARY

CAT COMPLEX When opened, it is North America’s largest cat complex

‘HENRY DOORLY ZOO’

1977

hands-on education area

1983

off-public area houses multiple conservation sciences

1996

HUBBARD GORILLA VALLEY

HUBBARD ORANGUTAN FOREST

Elevator building also opens

2004 STINGRAY BEACH

1987

GREWCOCK CENTER FOR CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH

the Zoo had a record 1.6 million visitors this year

1995

MUTUAL OF OMAHA’S WILD KINGDOM PAVILION

When opened, it is North America’s second largest free flight aviary

SUZANNE AND WALTER SCOTT AQUARIUM

Two banyan trees rise 65 feet high for orangs to climb

2005

GARDEN OF THE SENSES 1998

2014

Total immersion walk-thru exhibit

splashground with 75+ bronze sculptures

2016

ASIAN HIGHLANDS

2017

2016

OWEN SEA LION

Red pandas, Indian rhino, SHORES tigers are just a few a new home for sea lions exhibits with a 275-thousandgallon pool

featuring Birds of Flight

2018

10

2008 ALASKAN ADVENTURE

largest project in Zoo history, 28 acres, featuring elephants

HOLLAND MEADOWLARK THEATER

this garden focuses on all four senses

GREWCOCK BUTTERFLY AND INSECT PAVILION

SCOTT AFRICAN GRASSLANDS

an interactive exhibit to feed & touch stingray

1963

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

2020

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 11

cOntinued

•

mmagazine

historical timeline AK-SAR-BEN NATURE KINGDOM (later named Red Barn Park) opens

1966

OWEN SEA LION PAVILION

OMAHA ZOO RAILROAD makes inaugural run with help from Union Pacific

1968

opens using plumbing from the old 1916 Riverview Swimming Pool

DOORLY’S PRIDE

LIED JUNGLE

a heroic bronze sculpture of a pride of 12 lions is installed

At the time it is built, it is the world’s largest indoor rainforest

WORLD’S FIRST 1989

tiger conceived through artificial insemination

1991

1992

DESERT DOME

SUE’S CAROUSEL

World’s largest indoor desert under geodesic dome

featuring 30 wild animals & horses

1999

MAHONEY KINGDOMS OF THE NIGHT 2002

World’s largest nocturnal exhibit & indoor swamp

EXPEDITION MADAGASCAR

2009

2013

2016

125 YEARS Zoo celebrates its 125th Year Anniversary

outdoor, hands-on adventure area

2017

providing space for more than 9,000 students annually

ELEPHANT CALF EUGENIA

ELEPHANT CALF SONNY

first African elephant calf born at the Zoo

second African elephant calf born at the Zoo

2020

2022

celebrating

125 years!

a commemoration to Rosenblatt Stadium

ROBERT B DAUGHTERY EDUCATION CENTER

BAY FAMILY CHILDREN’S ADVENTURE TRAILS

2-MILLIONTH VISITOR Zoo’s attendance hits 2 million for first time

2010

2003

INFIELD AT THE ZOO

featuring indoor exhibits & outdoor lemur walkway

SKYFARI Aerial tram helps transport visitors

1972

2017

2022

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 12

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

A SPRAWLING natural domain Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is considered one of the best zoos in the country and also known worldwide.

Its mission is to inspire, educate and engage people to serve as lifelong stewards for the conservation of animals and their habitats.

As Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium celebrates its 125th anniversary, its grounds span 130 acres and it serves as home to over 900 species and more than 30,000 animals within the Zoo and aquarium combined. The Zoo’s mission is centered around conservation, research and education.

“It is acknowledged by some as of not only one of the best zoos in the world, but maybe even the number-one zoo in the United States,” said Dr. Lee Simmons, who joined the Zoo in late 1966 as resident veterinarian and ultimately served as its executive director for decades before retiring in 2009; he serves on the Omaha Zoo Foundation board of directors today.

A GIFT FOR GROWTH In 1963, Margaret Hitchcock Doorly, daughter of Omaha WorldHerald founder and U.S. Senator Gilbert Hitchcock, donated $750,000 with the condition that the Zoo be renamed for her late husband, Henry Doorly, chairman of the World Publishing Company (Omaha World-Herald) and Children’s Memorial Hospital founder.

That gift was the seed that helped the Zoo transition out of its status as a small municipal zoo. In 1965, the zoological society reorganized as a nonprofit to finance and maintain the Zoo. Major projects such as the bear grotto and large-primate quarters were launched around this time, supported by substantial donations like one from Aksarben to start the Zoo’s Nature Kingdom aimed for young visitors, or the quarter of a million dollars donated by Peter Kiewit, president of Peter Kiewit Sons’ Incorporated. Warren Thomas was hired as the Zoo director, and he in turn brought in Simmons, who succeeded him in 1970.

The Zoo’s exhibits and attractions are bountiful, breathtaking and record-setting: the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium featuring a 900,000-gallon saltwater aquarium; the Lied Jungle, America’s largest indoor rainforest; the Desert Dome, the world’s largest indoor desert atop Kingdom’s of the Night, the world’s largest nocturnal exhibit. And “In the early days when (wife) Marie and I first came to town, there that’s just a small sampling of everything the globally-renowned Zoo were only 10 employees. We had a budget of $100,000,” Simmons has to offer. said. “There were things we did early on that were by sheer grit and determination.”

WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAMED Today’s Zoo has come a long way since its beginnings in the last years of the 19th century as Riverview Park Zoo near 9th and Frederick Streets. In its small collection of cages and enclosures that housed a few animals including a grizzly bear and moose, the progenitor zoo’s biggest attraction was two buffalo on loan from military legend and famous showman William ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody.

A lagoon graced the grounds, and the park gained a pavilion passed down from the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exhibition. By the early 1900s, Riverview Park Zoo’s footprint had expanded to more than 100 acres, with continental species like mountain lions and foxes and a few exotic animals including some monkeys.

It struggled, however, in subsequent decades reflecting the years of drought, depression and war that affected the nation.

Simmons said Riverview Park Zoo was relatively unimpressive in the beginning.

“You really couldn’t call it a ‘zoo’ before the Society took it over; it was basically a 1920s WPA (Works Progress Administration) menagerie,” he said.

The Omaha Zoological Society, created in 1952 with the intent of transforming the operation into something “bigger and better,” hired an architect to create a master plan to help get it there. The Zoo expanded its animal collection in the relatively prosperous 1950s, adding a llama, an emu and an elephant among its specimens.

12

Simmons hit the ground running when he joined the Zoo in 1966.

His home often served as temporary quarters for baby animals, and housed zoo colleagues visiting from around the country in preinternet days and before the Zoo had research and education facilities and scientific staff.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CAT HOUSE A 1968 conversation between Peter Kiewit and Simmons led to the Eugene C. Eppley Pachyderm Hill building. Other developments of that decade included the Union Pacific Railroad’s Omaha Zoo Railroad. Omahans of a certain age likely still remember the 1970s fundraising campaign coined by Mayor Eugene Leahy said. “Support Your Local Cat House,” that helped fund the Cat Complex, the largest in the nation at that time.

The 1970s also saw strong membership support, growing conservation efforts for rare and endangered species, and even the unearthing and conversion of a circa-1916 swimming pool to bring together the Owen Sea Lion Plaza. The legendary orangutan lockpicker, Fu Manchu, made headlines with his antics. More rare animals were added to the Zoo’s population and some additional exhibits like a small saltwater aquarium, the Aksarben waterfall and reptile habitats. mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 13

cOntinued

•

mmagazine

celebrating 125 years!

In tHE early dAyS WHEn (WIfE) mARIE And I fIRSt CAmE to toWn, tHERE WERE only 10 EmpLoyEES. WE HAd A budget of $100,000. tHERE WERE tHIngS WE dId EARLy on tHAt WERE by sheer grit And dEtERmInAtIon.

~ dR. LEE SImmonS, Omaha zOO FOundatiOn

ENTRANCE TO THE HENRY DOORLY ZOO, 1971

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 14

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

WHERE wonder LIVES 1980s highlights included the addition of the Simmons Aviary, the Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom Pavilion, renovations to the gorilla and orangutan buildings, World-Herald Square and First Tier Wolf Woods.

It was a gradual process to secure funding and expand the Zoo, Simmons added. “One project at a time, one project at a time.”

“The good thing is that we were not a government entity; we were not city- or county- or state-run like so many zoos…One of the things

Zoo development soared in the early 1990s and through the 2000s, said Simmons.

I think has set us apart is that very early on we operated not like a charity, but because of our leadership we were able to operate much

“When we really put the Zoo on the map both nationally and internationally is when we did the Lied Jungle (1992). That was the biggest and best of its kind anywhere then, and is still considered perhaps the best total immersion exhibit in North America.

Then we followed that with the aquarium (1995) and then the Desert Dome (2002) and Kingdoms of the Night (2003). And then the gorillas (Hubbard Gorilla Valley, 2004) and orangs (Hubbard Orangutan Forest, 2005). We had a pretty unusual run, even back then, in that we were averaging doing a new exhibit about every second or third year,” Simmons recalled. “And then in the last 10 years… the pace was actually even accelerated from that.”

more like a for-profit, stick our neck out and take risks,” he said. “So a lot of things that got done, particularly in those early days, was because we were able to take risks and had people like Walter who were backstopping us. And we kind of adopted an expanded operating procedure where if we had a new project we wanted to do, if we could raise half the money, we could take a deep breath, jump off the end of the pier, paddle like crazy and figure that we’d raise the last half by the time we got done with the project. It always worked out. For 40 years we brought in every project on time and on budget, period.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE The Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park, a 440-acre drive-through

ONE PROJECT AT A TIME

park near Ashland, opened in 1998. The park is associated with the

Simmons said his aims were modest when he started.

Zoo and features dozens of native North American species from

“We wanted to simply build up to build a hopefully medium-sized zoo; I don’t think we had any aspirations of being the major Zoo we are today. Omaha is not that big of a town by comparison to New York and Chicago and L.A. and St. Louis, towns that have huge populations and therefore a lot more money,” he explained. “I think in those early days if somebody would have said, ‘Would you ever have something like the Lied Jungle or the Desert Dome or even the Gorilla Valley, let alone some of the things we’ve done just in the past few years?’ we would probably have just simply shaken our heads. Because money was so hard to come by.”

Simmons proved to be a gifted fundraiser who built important relationships with key individuals who wanted to see the Zoo evolve.

The late Walter Scott, Jr. (see page 20) was a supporter like no other, Simmons said. The philanthropist and longtime Chairman and CEO of construction firm Kiewit Sons’, Inc. played an important role in the Zoo’s development over several decades.

14

bison and black bears to wolves, deer and various birds.

Conservation is an important part of the Zoo’s mission in general and has been especially meaningful to Simmons from the beginning.

In 2009, Dennis Pate (see page 9), whose Zoo career began in the early 1960s, became the Zoo’s executive director. He continues to serve the Zoo today as president and CEO. Under his leadership, the Zoo has opened multiple exhibits including the African Grasslands, Alaskan Adventure, Bay Family Children’s Adventure Trails, Daugherty Education Center, Stingray Beach, Expedition Madagascar, Asian Highlands, Owen Sea Lion Shores; and also created new guest services amenities such as Glacier Bay Landing, Gift Shop, Guest Services, Ticketing and Redemption, and North Gate Entrance—plus has seen record attendance. In February, Pate announced his retirement, and the Zoo will be conducting a national search for its next leader. mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 15

cOntinued

•

mmagazine

celebrating 125 years!

RIVERVIEW PARK PAVILION, 1934. THE PAVILION WAS ORIGINALLY MOVED FROM THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI EXPOSITION

ZOO BUILDINGS DURING THE WINTER IN 1971 WITH ROSENBLATT STADIUM IN THE BACKGROUND.

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 16

THE GREAT midwest ocean

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

Bringing the seas to the plains Nebraska may be the only triple-landlocked U.S. state and about a thousand miles from the nearest ocean waters, but the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium is home to penguins, tropical fish, coral, sea turtles, jellyfish and sharks. Built in 1995, its realistic and detailed displays give visitors a sense of distant water environments including polar regions, temperate oceans, coral reefs and the Amazon River. The showcase of the 900,000-gallon saltwater aquarium is a 70-foot tunnel, which allows visitors a unique view where they become a display, in a way, for the marine life that dwells there.

TOUCH TANK IN SCOTT AQUARIUM

The Scott Aquarium is the largest aquarium on the grounds of any zoo, and is named for major donors Walter Scott, Jr. (see page 20), and his wife, Suzanne (see page 24). Scott was CEO of Kiewit Corporation, which first became involved with the Zoo in the early 1960s. The Scotts formed the Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation in 1990.

The Scott Aquarium is also home to important work to preserve and revitalize coral, an animal which Curator of Aquatics Mitch Carl said is essential to the health of the waters it occupies and that of the surrounding ecosystem. Nearly 20 years ago, the Zoo began a relationship with SECORE International, an international nonprofit focused on coral reef conservation.

“We are also participating now in the Florida Reef Tract Rescue Project (FRTRP). This project entailed taking 3,000 corals off the reef in the Florida Keys due to stony coral wasting disease that was wiping out over 20 species of corals,” Carl said. These corals will be held until the disease has passed, and their offspring will be placed back onto the reef in hopes of replenishing the reefs of Florida with disease-free corals.

CORAL FROM SECORE PROJECT

JELLYFISH EXHBIT INSIDE SCOTT AQUARIUM

“Corals require water above 68 degrees in general, fairly nutrient poor water, good sunlight,” Carl said, explaining that without those conditions, coral reproduction and survival are inhibited.

Threats to coral worldwide include disease, changes in temperature, pollution, destructive fishing practices and other hazards. That in turn removes food and habitat for other marine life, or as Carl put it said. “The big picture is the health of the ocean.”

16

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 17

cOntinued

•

mmagazine

exhibit: aquarium The Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium is home to numerous aquatic species from all over the world. It’s also part of important conservation work with significant environmental impact.

SHARK EXHBIT INSIDE SCOTT AQUARIUM

tHE bIg pICtuRE IS tHE HEALtH of tHE oCEAn. ~ mItCH CARL, curatOr OF aquatics

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 18

LET IT rain

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

A better place to live In 1990, the 80-foot-tall, multilevel Lied Jungle opened to the public, bringing visitors to the rainforest environments of Africa, Asia and South America and introducing their native plants and animals. The Lied Jungle’s introduction was credited for doubling Zoo attendance and ushering in the next era of the Zoo’s evolution in habitat development.

Terri Gouveia, Curator of Horticulture for the Zoo, was brought in to help create what is now North America’s largest indoor tropical rainforest exhibit.

“The Lied Jungle created the perfect opportunity to convey the message of conservation by letting people experience all the magic of its diversity in one-and-a-half acres and have a personal and visual connection to what it means when we hear that 10,000 acres of that magic are being destroyed every day,” she said, adding that the exhibit is serving as a catalyst for conservation action.

“As one of the first in immersion exhibits, it was exciting times in unchartered waters. Dr. Simmons had a very clear vision of the exhibit representing animals and plants of Asia, South America and African rainforest habitats,” Gouveia said. “It was my job along with project manager Danny Morris to make that vision a reality within 18 months, selecting and finding plant specimens, arranging digging, shipping, and coordinating installation with our in-house volunteers from every Zoo department. Then, the challenges of getting it all to live and acclimate to this indoor environment in Nebraska filled my love of being a grower.”

WHITE-HANDED GIBBON

MACAW AT LIED JUNGLE

LIZARD AT LIED JUNGLE

Today, the horticulture team makes the plant selections and coordinates the sourcing, shipping and installation for various exhibits from the African Grasslands to Asian Highlands, Gouveia said. “The team continues to transform the park by continually adding unique botanical selections to the collections for our guests to enjoy.”

18

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 19

cOntinued

•

mmagazine

exhibit: lied jungle The Lied Jungle immerses visitors in the atmosphere of African, Asian and South American tropical rainforests and introduces them to the plant and animal life of those regions so far away from Nebraska.

WATERFALL INSIDE LIED JUNGLE

AS onE of tHE fIRSt In immersion ExHIbItS, It WAS ExCItIng tImES In unchartered WAtERS. dR. SImmonS HAd A vERy CLEAR vision of tHE ExHIbIt REpRESEntIng AnImALS And pLAntS of ASIA, SoutH AmERICA And AfRICAn rainforest HAbItAtS. ~ tERRI gouvEIA, curatOr OF hOrticulture

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 20

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

THE MAN & THE VISION

walter scott, jr.

The late Walter Scott, Jr. was one of the Zoo’s greatest supporters and biggest fans. His friends and associates reflect on Scott’s many contributions and long-lasting influence.

Philanthropist Walter Scott, Jr., who died in September 2021, was the longtime Chairman and CEO of construction firm Kiewit Sons’, Inc. He was also a great friend and supporter of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, said Calvin Sisson, President & CEO of the Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation.

HE SUCCEEDED In the announcement he sent to the Scott Foundation board sharing the news of Scott’s passing, Sisson hailed Scott as a team-builder.

“the freedom to take risks,” Simmons added.

“Walter didn’t micromanage. You agreed to do something and he expected you to do it, but he didn’t tell you how to do it.”

SUCH A LOVE FOR THE ZOO

“The many associations and friendships he Mogens Bay, who succeeded Scott as developed were a big part of how he was chairman of the Zoo’s board and foundation, able to have such an outsized impact. His had a long association with Scott through “Walter was very generous to the Zoo. Aside engineering side liked to tinker with ideas Valmont’s board and The Walter Scott Jr. from the monetary impact, he created an on how to make our community a better Family Foundation, as well as decades of environment where the Zoo was able to place,” Sisson wrote. “He succeeded.” shared interest in the Zoo. Bay said Scott, open something new—an exhibit, who “had such a love for the Zoo,” was not attraction or program—that helped keep Scott joined the Omaha Zoological Society only personally devoted, but also the membership and annual attendance in 1975, making his first major financial committed his financial resources, which numbers very strong,” he said. “The contribution to the Zoo for its Cat Complex. attracted other philanthropic players in the success of the Zoo over many decades can He became chairman of the Zoo’s board of community. be traced to this one important element: directors in 1982 and served for many years Keep interest high by building world-class as chairman of the Zoo’s foundation. Scott’s “We are blessed in Omaha with a exhibits and then let the visitors ‘vote with four-plus-decades relationship with the Zoo philanthropic community that is the most their feet.’” is evident throughout the grounds of the generous I can think of anywhere in the Zoo, from the namesake Scott Aquarium to country,” Bay said. “You see philanthropy in Both Zoo Directors, Dennis Pate currently every other major project that has taken everything important that has been built (at and Dr. Lee Simmons formerly, called Scott place during his years of involvement. He the Zoo).” a friend as well as a partner and supporter once even literally auctioned the shirt off instrumental to the development of the Zoo. his back, with friend Warren Buffett making Simmons added that Scott was an avid Scott took a special interest in the Zoo the winning bid, at an early Zoofari outdoorsman who was fascinated by because of its educational value to the fundraiser. Scott was also a frequent Zoo animals, although he pointed out that Scott community visitor, known for his golf-cart tours through had his favorites. the grounds that inspired new ideas for “Walter loved the outdoors and learning new future projects.

“Walter liked warm, fuzzy animals that things. By having a world-class Zoo in our looked straight at you. He was not fond or community, young people were given the “Walter was an engineer, as everybody enthusiastic about snakes and bugs and chance to expand their worldview by seeing knows, and he approached life and the things like that,” Simmons said, adding that animals in immersive exhibits that they may world from an engineer’s point of view,” although Scott enjoyed photo ops with never get to see outside of Omaha. It’s easy Simmons said, adding with a chuckle said. some species said. “We never got him to to focus on the economic impact that the “One of the things I learned early on was Zoo has, and Walter wouldn’t discount that that you never gave Walter a number if you hold a snake or a bug.” fact. But he really liked the education were talking about money unless you were Scott’s legacy lives on in the thriving Zoo, mission,” Simmons said. damn sure, because he remembered that Simmons said. bloody number forever and expected you to “Walter had an eye for detail as we went on meet the number, whatever number you “There’s absolutely no questions that if it golf cart trips around the Zoo,” said Dennis gave him.” hadn’t been for Walter’s influence and Pate, president and CEO of Omaha’s Zoo support, the Zoo wouldn’t be even remotely and Aquarium. “He wanted the Zoo to be at Scott set the character and personality of the size and quality that it is.” its best for everyone who entered its gates.” the board and the Zoo, and gave the team

20

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 21

cOntinued

•

mmagazine

title heading youryour leadlead title && heading

WALtER HAd An eye foR dEtAIL AS WE WEnt on goLf CARt trips ARound tHE zoo. HE WAntEd tHE zoo to bE At ItS best foR everyone WHo EntEREd ItS gAtES. ~ dEnnIS pAtE, president and ceO OF Omaha’s zOO and aquarium

THE LATE WALTER SCOTT, JR.

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 22

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

CENTER FOR CONSERVATION and research The Zoo’s Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research is an important partner in global conservation efforts and research.

It also supports ongoing training for students and personnel representing zoos from all over the U.S. as well as many other countries.

PATHOLOGIST AT ZOO

VETERNARIANS EXAMINING FOSSA

WYOMING TOAD, AMPHIBIAN CONSERVATION AREA

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium has built a dynamic program of scientific investigation in molecular genetics, reproductive physiology, nutrition and conservation medicine. Its conservation programs have a global impact through numerous projects both in the wild and in zoos or other protective facilities, and include collaborations with many like-minded entities.

The Zoo has been involved in research and conservation for decades, but in 1996 opened its first official research facility with attached veterinary medical quarters. Ten years later, the Bill and Berniece Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research completed the Hubbard Research wing expansion, doubling the research area and providing additional medical facilities to greatly enhance the Zoo’s ability to respond to conservation needs. This expansion also allows the Zoo to more effectively train students and colleagues from around the world.

Vice President of Conservation and Animal Health Dr. Jason Herrick oversees the Zoo’s research departments.

“The Departments of Animal Health, Nutrition, and Behavioral Husbandry and Welfare work with all of the animals—and their amazing keepers—throughout the Zoo on a daily basis. As you might imagine, interactions between the animal areas and the Department of Reproductive Sciences are more specific to the animals and the needs of the animal care staff and, therefore, less frequent,” he explained. “Many of the animals are managed by Species Survival Plans, which make very specific recommendations for which males and females should breed and when. Sometimes those animals get along and do what they are supposed to. In those cases, Reproductive Sciences usually just helps with pregnancy testing and monitoring. Most of our work, though, is for for the animals that don’t breed when they are supposed to. Our specialties are cats and rhinos, which involves work here in Omaha, but also extensive collaboration with zoos across the U.S.” Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians Jessi Krebs has been devoted to amphibian conservation since he joined the Zoo 25 years ago. He named habitat loss and pollution

22

among the factors that are depleting and even decimating species in the wild and lauded the biosecure facility that keeps species safe from pathogen exchange as his team helps them propagate.

“We do everything big here. We have 4,200 square feet dedicated to 13 different isolation rooms. Thousands of animals are produced here every year and are going back to the wild. We hit a milestone last year: 100,000 animals produced here using zookeeper power and Zoo resources,” he said, adding said. “They are such an important part of our ecosystem. If you lose amphibians, everything crumbles… These smaller animals are the foundation of life.”

Amphibians’ permeable skin makes them susceptible to absorbing harmful pollutants, so the health of species in the wild serves as a canary-in-the-coal-mine indicator for other creatures, including human beings, Krebs explained.

“It takes us longer as humans to be affected, but it makes its way to us,” he said. “These amphibians are showing us that these areas are bad and that they need to be cleaned up, and it will catch up to us.”

The work of the Center for Conservation and Research is not only vital, it’s allencompassing, Herrick said. (see EXHIBITION: MADAGASCAR, page 26) “Our biggest impact on conservation is the animals we have here. Together with all of the other accredited zoos in the U.S., we are working to maintain assurance populations for species at risk of extinction in the wild.

Those populations allow us to educate and inspire our guests about the current extinction crisis many species are facing.

With more than 1.7 million guests each year, that is really our opportunity to make a difference,” Herrick said. “However, that is not all we do. The Zoo is also working hard to make our own operations more sustainable with more efficient use of resources and increased recycling. Finally, the Zoo directly supports conservation efforts in the range countries of the species that we manage with participation of Zoo staff, financial assistance, or both.”

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:00 PM Page 23

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 24

LOZIER theater; GARDEN of the senses; SUE’S wildlife carousel OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

In the late 1990s the Zoo added several new features including Sue’s Wildlife Carousel, the Garden of the Senses, and the Lozier Giant Screen Theater that continue to delight visitors today.

LOZIER GIANT SCREEN THEATER The Lozier Giant Screen Theater screen is truly “giant,” measuring 41 feet tall by 75 feet wide—a few feet wider than even a typical IMAX screen.

By comparison, most movie theater screens are 45 to 50 feet wide.

The seating area accommodates 358 viewers (324 for 3D movies) and all seats are great seats in a theater with such a large screen. The Lozier Theater also boasts a state-of-the-art sound system and projector for 2D and 3D films. Audio and visual assistive devices are available to guests upon request.

The Lozier Theater, which opened in 1997, primarily features nature films.

The late Allan Lozier, who headed Lozier Corporation and Lozier Foundation, provided funding for the theater, which reflected his love of technology.

LOZIER GIANT SCREEN THEATER

The Lozier Giant Screen Theater is one of the perks of a Zoo membership.

GARDEN OF THE SENSES The Garden of the Senses opened in spring 1998 near the picnic pavilions and lagoon on the east side of the Zoo grounds and was renovated in 2014 to include preschool classrooms and flexible space. The garden includes more than 250 different species of herbs, perennials, trees and flowers and birds including cockatoos, macaws and parrots. Refreshing fountains and the bronze sculptures are a popular site for photos.

The garden was designed to provide visitors with a multisensory experience, including accommodating visitors with visual impairment with Braille signage and welcoming everyone to enjoy the garden’s textures, sounds and fragrances.

SUE’S WILDLIFE CAROUSEL GARDEN OF THE SENSES

The late Suzanne Scott was very active in community affairs, chairing many civic events and serving on numerous nonprofit guilds and boards. In 1984, she became founding executive director of the Omaha Zoo Foundation. Sue’s Wildlife Carousel, added in 1999 on the north side of the Zoo, was named in her honor (the Scott Alaskan Adventure splashground, the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium, and the Suzanne and Walter Scott African Grasslands also bear her name).

In 2019, the carousel became a feature for a renovated plaza featuring concessions, the splashground and other amenities. Glacier Bay Landing restaurant opened on the site of the former Red Barn Park petting zoo, which dated to 1966.

SUE’S WILDLIFE CAROUSEL

The carousel is 36 feet in diameter and its 30 brilliantly enameled animals include traditional circus horses along with a variety of wild animals— Zoo inhabitants like zebra, gorilla, deer, giraffe, tiger, ostrich, rabbit, rooster, elephant, leopard, rhino and goat—and sea dragon and two chariots.

More than 1,600 sparkling lights and music add to its nostalgic charm.

24

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 25

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 26

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

A GLITTERING landmark

The Zoo’s iconic Desert Dome represents three deserts: the Namib Desert of southern Africa, the Red Center of Australia and the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern U.S. Its exhibits span 42,000 square feet on each of two levels.

LITTLE LIONS, THE ZOO’S PRESCHOOL, LEARNING INSIDE THE DESERT DOME

deserts are dry regions, yet they still harbor plant and animal life, so the exhibits feature flora and fauna from the African, Australian and American deserts.

26

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 27

cOntinued

•

mmagazine

exhibit: desert dome and kingdoms of the night Wonder under the dome The glazed geodesic dome that houses the Desert Dome and Kingdoms of the Night exhibits is the largest animal exhibit of its kind in the world. Not only is it one of the icons in the logo for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, its towering presence has made it a landmark for the Zoo itself since its installation 20 years ago.

AARDVARK EXHIBIT IN MAHONEY KINGDOMS OF THE NIGHT

INSIDE THE DESERT DOME

INDOOR SWAMP IN MAHONEY KINGDOMS OF THE NIGHT

The Desert Dome represents three deserts: the Namib Desert of southern Africa, the Red Center of Australia and the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern U.S., and encompasses 42,000 square feet on each of two levels.

Deserts are dry regions, yet they still harbor plant and animal life, so the exhibits feature flora and fauna from the respective regions. Desert plants include succulents, palms, mesquite trees, grasses, herbs and shrubs. Some of the animal species housed in the Desert Dome are a variety of reptiles (including venomous snakes), klipspringers, rock wallabies, ocelots and bobcats, peccaries, and more. The Desert Dome Sun Room showcases reptile and amphibian hatchlings, giving them exposure to beneficial ultraviolet rays from the sun, and highlights some of the Zoo’s related conservation and research projects.

The world’s largest nocturnal exhibit, Eugene T. Mahoney Kingdoms of the Night, lies beneath the Desert Dome. A reversal of the animals’ day-night cycles makes it possible for guests to observe the natural nocturnal activity of Kingdoms of the Night inhabitants, although walkways are lighted for safety and displays and educational kiosks are lighted sufficiently for viewers to enjoy.

Kingdoms of the Night’s exhibits represent various environments from canyons to wet caves to a eucalyptus forest with animals and plants including fish, bats, crocodiles and turtles in barrier-free habitats.

It also contains a 160,000-gallon indoor swamp, the world’s largest, and more than 30 species in barrierfree habitats.

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 28

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

HUBBARD gorilla valley In the recently renovated Hubbard Gorilla Valley, Gorillas and visitors view each other eye to eye with mere inches of glass between them.

Gorillas have been a favorite attraction for Zoo visitors for decades, and many locals still share stories about the antics of Casey, the 600-pound Western lowland gorilla who was highly popular during his 12 years at the Zoo from 1968 to 1980. Casey would have loved the Hubbard Gorilla Valley, which was constructed in April 2004 and renovated in 2021.

Gorillas and visitors view each other eye to eye with mere inches of glass between them, and there are new amenities for the primates like complex natural-timber climbing structures along with enhancements to the outdoor habitat like a variety of plant life to encourage natural foraging and problem-solving.

Waterfalls and streams create interest and encourage movement, and the sprinkler system can irrigate plants or provide cooling mist for the gorillas on hot days.

GORILLA AT HUBBARD GORILLA VALLEY

The gorillas spend three seasons outdoors, but Gorilla Valley provides indoor quarters for winter.

It’s also home to other animals including cattle egrets, whitefaced ducks, white storks, Abyssinian blue-winged geese, cape teals, African spurred tortoises, black crowned cranes, yellowbacked duikers, Abyssinian ground hornbills, and colobus monkeys.

The family group is rotated with bachelor males in the large group exhibit so the juvenile gorillas can interact with the structures and forage naturally

GORILLA IN OUTDOOR EXHIBIT AREA

Some of the 2021 enhancements are for the benefits of human visitors, including a new north entrance, additional benches, African jungle-themed decor, more outdoor shade, and an upgraded education hub with interactive touch screens, photo murals, video monitors and display cases. Visitors can learn more about how the Zoo is a major partner in global gorilla conservation efforts like Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, for which Dennis Pate (see page 14), the Zoo’s President and CEO, serves as a board member.

There’s also an updated children’s play area with bronze gorilla sculptures who don’t mind being touched and are always camera-ready.

ZOO GUESTS ENJOYING AN EYE-TO-EYE VISIT WITH A GORILLA

28

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 29

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 30

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

BERNIECE GREWCOCK

butterfly and insect pavilion It’s no coincidence that, viewed from above, the Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion facility is evocative of a winged insect. The facility was created for total immersion, with a butterfly conservatory featuring waterfalls, a water-lily pool and many beautiful butterflies, moths and hummingbirds. The insect pavilion houses ants, scorpions, spiders, walking sticks, mantids, centipedes, roaches, beetles and various other creatures.

BUTTERFLIES LAND ON ZOO GUESTS’ ARMS

The Butterfly and Insect Pavilion is one of the Zoo facilities that carry the Grewcock name; the Bill and Berniece Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research (see page 22) is the other. Both represent the long association the Grewcock family has had with the Zoo, Bruce Grewcock said. His late father, Bill, a Kiewit executive, was asked by Peter Kiewit in 1968 to devise a method to dig a moat for the elephant facility being built at the time. Grewcock became a significant supporter and member of the boards of both the Omaha Zoological Society and the Omaha Zoo Foundation boards. Berniece Grewcock, the family matriarch, has long had a sweet spot for animals, especially elephants, her son said.

The Grewcock name on two of the Zoo’s facilities reflects the family’s sponsorship, but they also sponsored the elephant habitat, the 2016 African Grasslands exhibit’s star attraction (see page 38). That exhibit is officially named the Berniece and Bill Grewcock Elephant Habitat, but Bill Grewcock was not motivated by receiving credit for his contributions and chose to keep his name off most of the projects he supported, his son said. Bill Grewcock was also a champion of conservation, serving on the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Game and Parks Foundation boards and generously supporting the Nebraska Humane Society.

BLUE MORPHO

Bill and Berniece Grewcock instilled their love of the Zoo in the next generation, and as executive chairman for Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc., Bruce Grewcock has witnessed the construction firm’s history with Zoo development. He and his wife, Deb, have chaired the Zoofari fundraiser and continue to support the Zoo financially.

“I can’t claim near as much involvement as my parents have,” he said.

“I think maybe people don’t know that they were the ones who donated the land for the Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park down by Ashland.

I don’t hold a candle to some of the things they’ve done.”

In the spring of 2022, the Grewcock family’s gift to the Zoo’s previous Zoofari earned them naming rights for a new elephant calf, Eugenia (a family name). And the living legacy is a wonderful acknowledgement of Berniece Grewcock’s fondness for pachyderms… and maybe a little bit symbolic of something else?

INSIDE BERNIECE GREWCOCK BUTTERFLY & INSECT PAVILION

“My mother is a dyed-in-the-wool Republican, so I am guessing that is where the affinity came from,” her son said, wryly.

30

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 31

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 32

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

HUBBARD expedition madagascar Hubbard Expedition Madagascar is a 300-foot-long exhibit showcasing a wide variety of animal species native to the island nation including many types of lemurs, aye-ayes, fossas, giant jumping rats and fruit bats. Plant species hailing from Madagascar are also highlighted.

Hubbard Expedition Madagascar opened in 2010. The 300-foot-long exhibit, anchored by a 17,000-square-foot main building, houses 15 exhibits showcasing a wide variety of animal species native to the island nation including many lemurs (ring-tailed lemurs, red ruffed lemurs, black-andwhite ruffed lemurs, black lemurs, mongoose lemurs, collared lemurs, brown lemurs and more). The lemurs live among man-made baobab trees, a succulent that produces a nutrient-dense fruit in the dry season and is sometimes called the tree of life, representing an environment similar to Madagascar.

Other species within Expedition Madagascar include aye-ayes, which are small primates; fossas, a predator and relative of the mongoose with a feline-like appearance; giant jumping rats; and fruit bats. A greenhouse among the exhibits also highlights plant species hailing from Madagascar.

OUTDOOR LEMUR WALKWAY

Exhibits are also designed to educate visitors about Madagascar, an area of the world considered one of the top hotspots for biodiversity because it is home to the largest number of endemic (native only to that country) plant and animal species; at least 75 percent of known animal species from the island are not found anywhere else in the world.

Throughout the building, each exhibit is linked to ongoing projects in Madagascar, and Expedition Madagascar helps acquaint visitors with one of the premier conservation partnerships in the world. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is dedicated to the conservation work on the island as part of the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership. The Zoo has been working in Madagascar since 1998 through MBP, led by the Zoo’s own Dr. Edward E. Louis Jr., Director of Conservation Genetics (see page 34).

GECKO AT EXPEDITION MADAGASCAR

At least 75 percent of known animal species from the island of madagascar are not found anywhere else in the world.

RING-TAILED LEMUR EXHBIT

32

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 33

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 34

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

REFORESTATION research and habitat Madagascar is home to rich rainforests inhabited by many animals found nowhere else in the world. The Zoo supports reforestation efforts focused on providing habitat for lemurs, the most threatened group of primates, and research to monitor and study animals native to the island nation.

There are almost 10,000 miles between Omaha and the Republic of Madagascar, and a lot of differences: Madagascar is an island nation with mountains and coastline, Omaha is within a plains region in the interior of a continent. Madagascar’s climate is largely tropical and temperate, Nebraska experiences wide seasonal temperature variations. Madagascar is designated by the United Nations to be one of the world’s least developed countries, Omaha is a city in one of the most prosperous countries in the world. Madagascar’s rainforests are some of the richest on the planet and serve as home to animals found nowhere else (many endangered), Omaha is a largely developed city.

PLANTING TREES IN MADAGASCAR

Nevertheless, because of the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, there is a close tie between the two places. Dr. Edward E. Louis Jr. is the Zoo’s Director of Conservation Genetics and founder of the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership (MBP). Since 1998, he has been traveling to and working in Madagascar on behalf of the Zoo. In April 2021, the Zoo—in collaboration with the MBP and supported by the Arbor Day Foundation—announced the planting of the four-millionth tree in Madagascar. It follows 12 years of reforestation efforts focused on providing habitat for lemurs, the most threatened group of primates, for whom habitat loss is a serious threat.

The primary reforestation program is in Kianjavato in southeastern Madagascar.

The forest fragments surrounding the small community are home to nine lemur species including the critically endangered black-and-white ruffed lemur that can be seen at the Zoo. The work benefits humans, too. Various native trees including timber and fruit-bearing trees planted as part of the reforestation effort also provide resources for locals, who voluntarily participate in planting around 18,000 trees every week under the organization of MBP. MBP also supports more than 150 full-time Malagasy employees as field assistants, project supervisors, office employees, horticulturists and supporting field personnel.

CELEBRATING 4 MILLION TREES PLANTED

“That’s one of the good things about our program; we’re not just monitoring lemurs or trying to protect the site and the forest, we’re working directly with the community, which allows us to plant as many trees as we do,” Louis said, adding that the buy-in from the people in the area ensures success. “When we first started there was a lot of doubt, because they’ve had a lot of foreigners come in and promise things and do some great things but leave and not come back… It is really crucial that we have put roots in the ground and that we are there every day of the year.”

As the trees mature, they add to the reforestation process through natural means, Louis said. “dropping seeds and reproducing on their own,” making the forest increasingly self-sustaining.

MBP researchers also monitor and study animals native to Madagascar, and are credited with the discovery of 24 new lemur species.

GENETICS RESEARCH AT THE ZOO

“We have to act quicky and we have to be focused in what we do,” Louis said. “You can get involved in multiple ways. You don’t have to go to Madagascar, to Africa, to get involved. That would be the message: get involved: it’s your kids’ future.”

34

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 35

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 36

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

zoo q’s...

We people of Omaha are incredibly lucky to have a worldclass Zoo with an international reputation, thanks to dedicated employees and our generous donors. I am honored to be a small part of this amazing organization.

Docents are part of the education department and we get to share our passion for animals and this Zoo with visitors of all ages. I hope that in some small way I am contributing to the Zoo’s conservation mission when I interact with our guests. I couldn’t be prouder to be a volunteer at our Zoo!

The Zoo has taken a very different meaning for myself in my own personal growth. It has offered me the opportunity to learn many different functions throughout.

From the freedom to enhance the Zoo by painting an area in the gift shop to sealing an exhibit for a reptile, this work gives me a sense of satisfaction that is hard to match compared to other jobs I’ve held in the past.

The friendships and knowledge I’ve gained so far are priceless to me in the sense that I will carry them both with me forever. I’ve also had the opportunity to be very up-close and personal with practically every animal in the Zoo and witness how keepers love and care for them.

Seeing the excitement of kids and our guests’faces as they walk into the Zoo makes me take a step back and realize the magic this place has to offer. It means more than a paycheck, it’s a way of life that only few people get to experience: Zoo life!

LARGE MAMMAL CURATOR OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM To me, the Zoo means ‘opportunity.’ I’ve always experienced the Zoo as a place of opportunity: opportunities for individual experience and development, opportunities to help others develop, and opportunities to play a supportive role in the Zoo’s organizational growth and development.

As one of the Zoo’s few living dinosaurs, I’ve spent nearly half a century working with extraordinary people and extraordinary animals as the Zoo matured from its first early steps toward development into what’s globally recognized as one of the Midwest’s brightest stars.

Good people are the reason we have the Zoo you see today, by either creating opportunities for progress or grabbing onto opportunities which presented themselves.

As much as I value time spent with the animals, I also place equally high value on the opportunity to work with talented, hardworking and dedicated people.

Our historical accomplishments were chaptered by those working within the Zoo and from generous members within our local community. Those individuals were and continue to be parts of the engine that brought us to where we are today, and where we’ll be tomorrow.

36

DIRECTOR OF GUEST OPERATIONS OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM Family, pride and progress.

Family: We consider hundreds of co-workers and volunteers our ‘Zoo family.’Without each one, we would not be where we are today. Family also represents members and guests. Seeing smiles on the faces of our guests is my favorite thing because I know that we are playing a small part in creating memories for them.

Pride: I am so proud to be part of where we came from, where we are today and where we are heading.

We provide a unique activity which can be enjoyed by every person in the community.

Progress: From the early ‘70s with little more than a few lions, tigers, bears, wolves and monkeys and just over 250,000 guests to 2021 where the Omaha Zoo is now worldrenowned with more than 1,000 species and 34,000 specimens and 1.7 million guests, we have certainly come a long way. We continue to plan and invest in our future, guaranteeing we will be here for a long, long time to come.

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

As impressed as I already was by this wonderful Zoo, when I began my docent training I was awed by the multitude of conservation efforts that take place behind the scenes.

MAINTENANCE TECH OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

Dan Houser

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

I love Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and have loved it since I moved here in 1978. I knew early on that I wanted to be a docent at the Zoo and was thrilled when I retired from full-time work and began my volunteer career at the Zoo.

Juan Garcia

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

VOLUNTEER DOCENT OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Sherry Fletcher

Sue Siedlik Lyons

Collin Nguyen ZOO ACADEMY STUDENT Well, I think the general meaning of the Zoo is a place where people can see and interact with animals that they may never have seen before; animals that you couldn’t find in your backyard. But to me?

The Zoo is a place of comfortability, it is a place where I get my best education. Being in Zoo Academy has taught me a lot of things about the environment, conservation and—of course—animals! But most importantly—about myself.

I have created such fond memories at the Zoo, from watching the sea lions swim at the new Sea Lion Shores, laughing along with my fellow Zoo Academy students during class, or learning about new interests shadowing with the Meadowlark Crew.

The Zoo to me isn’t just a place where I go and watch animals do things they would do in the wild. It’s a little home away from home that I created, a place I feel most comfortable—in my natural habitat, if you will. Zoo to me is long-lasting memories and experiences that I will cherish forever.

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 37

•

mmagazine

“WHAt doES tHE zoo mEAn to you?”

As a zookeeper, I think the Zoo means opportunities. The opportunity to educate the public about the importance of preserving the natural world and the wildlife we share it with, and the opportunity to be directly involved in the welfare and conservation of the animals in our care here at the Zoo. My coworkers are truly some of the most passionate and hardworking people I know and I can think of few things as rewarding as the relationships we create, both human and animal alike.

Sometimes we get thanked for our ‘service’ as zookeepers. However, I remind those supporters to thank the animals.

They’re the true ambassadors for their species, doing the real work of inspiring people to care about conservation and the future of our planet. I feel incredibly fortunate to get the privilege of calling this ‘work’ and coming here every day to hopefully make an impact in the lives of these animals, as well as the people who support the Zoo so unconditionally.

DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL HEALTH OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM As the chief veterinarian for the Zoo, I have a very different perspective than many others. I see and care for the animals and their caretakers at the best of times and at the worst of times.

Thus, the Zoo has many different meanings for me. It means joy and sorrow, stress and fulfillment, inadequacy and pride, constant challenges and a job well-done. It means tough conversations and hard laughter. It literally means blood, sweat and tears.

At the end of the day, it means I have a place to pour my heart and soul: into my care for our animals, into the conservation of wild animals, and into a shared passion with all of the incredible humans who care for and about the animals.

celebrating

125 years!

Ellen Wright COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER My husband Stavely and I have been involved with our amazing Zoo for many years, as donors and me as a volunteer. Seeing our Zoo’s growth and its consistent commitment to conservation is truly inspiring to us as a family.

Whenever you commit time and treasure to a nonprofit, you need to be secure in its leadership; our Zoo has an incredible staff, both at the foundation and Zoo level. Our animal experts in all departments are extraordinary people; their tremendous dedication in caring for our animals and their willingness to enlighten all who come through our gates is the reason our Zoo in one of the finest in the world.

We feel blessed and privileged to have the opportunity to be part of such an amazing organization.

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

As a teacher and animal lover, I enjoy being able to create learning experiences and memories for my preschoolers in the Zoo environment. Having the Zoo as a classroom provides seemingly endless resources and opportunities for learning. It is empowering to be immersed in an environment where animal care, animal conservation, and education are a high priority.

What does the Omaha Zoo mean to me? Conservation, education and an Omaha tradition.

SENIOR HOOFSTOCK KEEPER OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

Sarah Woodhouse

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium has been a valuable part of my own children’s memories growing up in Omaha. When my kids were young, we spent every Friday exploring the Zoo! Over the years, it’s been exciting to watch the Zoo grow and change.

Josh Shandera

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

PRESCHOOL TEACHER LITTLE LIONS PRESCHOOL AT OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Meghan Paintin

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 38

ROAMING free

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

Expanding vistas

The Suzanne and Walter Scott African Grasslands, which opened in 2016, is the largest project ever undertaken in the Zoo’s 125-year history, changing the fundamental look of the Zoo’s entire eastern side with panoramic views of grasslands and African wildlife; grasses, acacialike trees, kopjes (small hills) and minimal visual barriers; and 25 new buildings and structures.

“Scott African Grasslands has possibly been the most transformative due to its impact on animal welfare and its size of more than 28 acres,” said Dennis Pate, the Zoo’s President and CEO. The area houses numerous species: giraffes, southern white rhinoceros, plains zebras, ostriches, meerkats, klipspringers, rock hyraxes, white-throated monitor lizards, crested guineafowl, African pygmy goats, sable antelopes, bongos, lions, cheetahs and other animal species.

And, of course, elephants. Scott African Grasslands is home to the Zoo’s herd, who arrived in 2016 after an eight-year period without any elephants. In early 2022, the Zoo staff was overjoyed to add two calves, Sonny and Eugenia to the elephant population. They are the first two African elephants to be born at the Zoo, and a new calf is expected to be born in 2023.

Many details of the exhibit are focused on the guest experience, with new restrooms, concessions and ADA-accessible pathways leading to the following areas within Scott African Grasslands: Kopje, Syd and Betty Cate Giraffe Herd Room, Hawkins Giraffe Encounter, Elephant Family Quarters, Truhlsen African Lodge, Kenefick Train Station, African Pygmy Goat Kraal, Columbian Mammoth Sculpture and Mammoth Plaza, Tenaska Pelican Lake Bridge, Cheetah Exhibit, Hawks Foundation Lion’s Pride & Habitat Viewing Area, Safari Tent Camp, Wildlife Management Headquarters, Sable Antelope Habitat and Bongo Habitat.

“The Omaha Zoo is such a treasure for our community and visitors. The Zoo’s creative staff delivers spectacular projects which transport us to other parts of the world, such as the African Grasslands,” said Howard Hawks, who has served on the Omaha Zoo and/or Omaha Zoo Foundation Board since 1984. The Hawks Foundation Lion’s Pride & Habitat Viewing Area bears his and wife Rhonda’s name. “It’s a pleasure to see the wonder and excitement on the faces of both young and old as they embrace the fun and adventure the Omaha Zoo brings to all.”

Suzanne and Walter Scott African Grasslands is named for major donors Walter Scott, Jr. (see page 20), and his wife, Suzanne (see page 24).

Scott was CEO of Kiewit Corporation, which first became involved with the Zoo’s development in the early 1960s. The Scotts formed the Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation in 1990 and had a long association with the Zoo.

EUGENIA, FIRST ELEPHANT CALF BORN AT THE ZOO

GIRAFFE FEEDING AT SCOTT AFRICAN GRASSLANDS

ENTRY INTO SCOTT AFRICAN GRASSLANDS

GOAT KRAAL AT SCOTT AFRICAN GRASSLANDS

38

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 39

cOntinued

•

mmagazine

exhibit: scott african grasslands The Suzanne and Walter Scott African Grasslands features numerous species, including the Zoo’s beloved elephant herd, along with panoramic views and plentiful amenities.

SCott AfRICAn gRASSLAndS HAS possibly bEEn tHE moSt transformative [zoo ExHIbIt] duE to ItS ImpACt on AnImAL WELfARE And ItS size of moRE tHAn 28 ACRES. ~ dEnnIS pAtE, president and ceO

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 40

THE JOY OF learning

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

The Bay Family’s Children’s Adventure Trails is an interactive exhibit that encourages learning through play in nature.

It’s next door to the Robert B. Daugherty Education Center, which provides educational space and contains the Zoo’s high school, kindergarten and after-school programs.

gALLup IS proud to SuppoRt tHE EduCAtIon CEntER At.......................

AquARIum foR ItS focus on dIvERSIty, StEm, ConSERvAtIon............... tHE next gEnERAtIon of LEAdERS to SuppoRt tHESE............................. offERIng pRogRAmmIng tHAt honors EACH StudEnt And..................

And HEARt Into tHEIR very bRIgHt futuRE. 40

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 41

cOntinued

•

mmagazine

exhibit: bay family children’s adventure trails • education center A better place to live

INTERPRETIVE GUIDE AT BAY FAMILY CHILDREN’S ADVENTURE TRAILS

Mogens Bay serves Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium as Chairman of both the Zoo and foundation boards, crediting Walter Scott, Jr. (see page 20), who he called “the father of the modern Zoo,” for bringing him to board service. But Bay’s interest in the Zoo is also personal. He and wife Cindy have enjoyed visiting the Zoo with their family—children and grandchildren—for decades.

“We’d been Zoo patrons,” he said. “We always felt that the Zoo was a great attraction for Omaha…

I know families who have memberships and they take their kids there sometimes weekly. There’s always something different to see at the Zoo.”

KINDERGARTEN CLASS INSIDE ROBERT B. DAUGHERTY EDUCATION CENTER

TREEHOUSE AT BAY FAMILY CHILDREN’S ADVENTURE TRAILS

KIDS WORK TOGETHER TO PULL THEIR RAFT AT BAY FAMILY CHILDREN’S ADVENTURE TRAILS

.........................omAHA’S HEnRy dooRLy zoo And ...................And tHE EnvIRonmEnt AS It grows ...............................CRItICAL nEEdS—ALL WHILE ....................HELpS tHEm to stretch tHEIR mInd

Mogens and Cindy Bay’s support of the Bay Family’s Children’s Adventure Trails, which opened in 2017, was a natural fit. Plus, this interactive exhibit that highlights learning through play in nature is adjacent to the Robert B. Daugherty Education Center (also opened in 2017), which provides educational space to more than 9,000 student visitors annually and contains the Zoo’s high school, kindergarten, preschool, and after-school programs.

“The Daugherty Foundation has been a big supporter of the Zoo for many years… (the late) Bob Daugherty always said. ‘I don’t look for recognition; I just look to do good.’ But sometimes it’s also appropriate to be recognized,” Bay said. “When the Omaha Zoo Foundation talked to Cindy and I about becoming sponsors of that, we readily agreed… it’s a very popular part of the Zoo now.”

~ JAnE mILLER, president and ceO, gallup

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 42

JOURNEY eastward

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

The Asian Highlands exhibit features naturalistic settings and the highest level of animal care in landscape elements and indoor and outdoor management areas for a wide variety of species.

A high level of detail in Asian Highlands elements—realistic ancient ruins and settlements, colorful prayer flags, even a nepali basecamp—enhances the setting for visitors.

42

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 43

cOntinued

•

mmagazine

exhibit: asian highlands Eastern expeditions

RED PANDA EXHIBIT IN ASIAN HIGHLANDS

Asian Highlands represents a journey through Asia from Indian grasslands to Himalayan mountains. The immersive exhibit is set on a previously undeveloped eight acres and features a guest pathway totaling 1,850 feet (more than a quarter mile) with 750 feet dedicated to animal viewing areas.

The Asian Highlands exhibit features naturalistic settings like moving water and rock faces, and a wide variety of species including red pandas, Reeves muntjac, cranes, tufted deer, Père David’s deer, greater one-horned rhinos, sloth bears, Amur tigers, snow leopards, takins and gorals.

PRAYER FLAGS IN ASIAN HIGHLANDS

INDIAN RHINO EXHIBIT IN ASIAN HIGHLANDS

AMUR TIGER EXHIBIT IN ASIAN HIGHLANDS

Like all the Zoo’s animal habitats, the Zoo’s mission to provide the highest level of animal care is seen in landscape elements such as rocks, trees, felled logs, water bodies, rolling terrain wallows, natural substrates and indoor and outdoor management areas in each area to simulate natural habitats and promote speciesappropriate animal behavior and activity.

A high level of detail in Asian Highlands elements—realistic ancient ruins and settlements, colorful prayer flags, even a Yeti basecamp— enhances the setting for visitors. One area includes shady spots and seating areas along with modern amenities like restrooms, a food and beverage stand and a souvenir vendor cart.

Asian Highlands’s first phase opened in 2018 followed by the second phase in 2019. In 2020, USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice selected Asian Highlands at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium as the Best Zoo Exhibit in North America.

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 44

BEAUTY AND THE barks

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

Sea, shore and sun Owen Sea Lion Shores is the new (2020) one-acre home to the Zoo’s sea lions and harbor seals. The state-of-the-art habitat includes a 275,000-gallon pool with a 40-foot-long underwater viewing window, natural boundaries, an underwater kelp forest and sandy beach areas. A grand sea arch welcomes visitors to a realistic Pacific Northwest coastal setting.

Innovative facilities and enrichment features support optimal animal welfare from a recirculating saltwater filtration system heated or chilled according to season to a two-chamber wave machine that creates varied currents. The area also includes sunning sites and shade features, and a pupping beach that allows females to give birth on land and then gradually introduce their pups to the water in the same manner as in the wild. An island serves as a site for training areas for the animal care team and is also appealing to the animals.

SEA LIONS SUNNING ON ROCKS IN OWEN SEA LION SHORES POOL

SEA LION

The Owen name is present in several places throughout the Zoo, said Tyler Owen, who called the Sea Lion Shores “an absolute work of art.” His grandfather, Ed Owen, served the Zoo board and Omaha Zoological Society in decades past, and Ed and his wife Dee made a significant contribution to support the Sea Lion Pavilion dedicated in 1972. Owen said the Owen family was honored to continue his late grandparents’ legacy by supporting the new Sea Lion Shores.

“I believe our company—Paxton & Vierling Steel, Iron Works at the time—had been providing structural steel on what was the Riverview Park in the 1920s. My grandfather Ed was instrumental in procuring the original steam locomotive, and after a trip to Regent Zoo in London supported Doc’s (Dr. Lee Simmons) plan for rehabbing the original Riverview pool (transforming it for the sea lion exhibit) that had been discontinued during the 1938 polio epidemic,” Owen said. “He also supported through the Owen Gorilla House and Owen Flamingo Pool, and Lord knows how many other things. Ed liked to put his name on things!”

GUESTS WALK OWEN SEA LION SHORES

44

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 45

cOntinued

•

mmagazine

exhibit: owen sea lion shores A grand sea arch welcomes visitors to a realistic Pacific Northwest coastal setting at Owen Sea Lion Shores, the top-notch habitat has innovated facilities and enrichment features to support optimal animal welfare for the Zoo’s sea lions and harbor seals.

UNDERWATER VIEWING AT OWEN SEA LION SHORES

SEA LIon SHoRES IS An AbSoLutE WoRK of ARt. ~ tyLER oWEn, Owen Family

celebrating

125 years!

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 46

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

PETTING SEAS:

stingray beach

The Zoo’s stingrays thrive in a 22,000-gallon, 75-foot-long saltwater pool with a state-of-the-art filtration system that ensures their health and well-being.

Just last year, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium unveiled Stingray Beach, home to about 45 stingrays and a unique interactive opportunity for visitors to touch and feed cownose, Southern and Atlantic stingrays inhabiting a 22,000-gallon, 75-foot-long saltwater pool. Its state-of-the-art filtration system ensures the health of the marine life, and plentiful hand-washing stations in the facility protect visitors and animals alike.

Stingray Beach replaced a former seasonal exhibit and its deeper tank has created a more comfortable environment for its inhabitants.

The permanent quarters eliminate moving stingrays in and out of exhibit space and a holding area throughout the year, and Zoo guests can enjoy Stingray Beach all four seasons.

ZOO TEACHER TEACHING PRESCHOOL CHILDREN ABOUT STINGRAYS

Stingray beach is home to about 45 stingrays and a unique interactive opportunity for visitors to touch and feed cownose, Southern and Atlantic stingrays.

COWNOSE STINGRAY AT STINGRAY BEACH

Chris and betsy murphy were pleased to support the development of the event center, a difference-maker for the zoo that opened in the spring of 2021. It reflects the family’s multigenerational dedication to the zoo.

ZOO ACADEMY STUDENTS EXPLORING STINGRAY BEACH

46

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:01 PM Page 47

vcOntinued

VENUE AT THE ZOO:

•

mmagazine

harper event center

The Harper Event Center is ideal for weddings, corporate affairs and private celebrations, with elegant and versatile indoor space and beautiful gardens surrounding the facility.

The Zoo’s newest venue, the Harper Event Center, features an expansive floor plan with lots of windows and an area that can open up to the outside. The facility can accommodate up to 350 guests and the covered patio allows for another 100, plus there’s an outdoor event lawn that can be used for additional reception space.

The Harper Event Center is ideal for weddings (rave reviews abound online), corporate affairs and private celebrations. The elegant and versatile indoor space includes a bride’s room and private access for catering, and is also fully wired for technology. Its gardens feature the 12 relocated Tanuki sculptures by Jun Kaneko.

Chris and Betsy Murphy said they were pleased to support the development of the event center, a ‘difference-maker’ for the Zoo that opened in the spring of 2021. It reflects the family’s multigenerational dedication to the Zoo.

OUTSIDE HARPER EVENT CENTER

“Betsy and I, and Betsy’s parents Mike and Josie Harper, had the pleasure to get to know Doc (Lee) Simmons and his lovely wife Marie over the years and just take in his passion for the Zoo and what it does for the community,” Chris Murphy said.

(Charles ‘Mike’ Harper was former chairman and CEO of Conagra Foods.

He and wife Joan ‘Josie’ Harper, a former nurse, launched the Harper Family Foundation in the 1990s to create a legacy of giving.)

“Fast forward to getting reacquainted with Doc and also with Dennis Pate and understanding the current and future vision of the Zoo, we had the ability to react to that through the Harper Family Foundation, which just brought this all together. It’s not one item, it’s us having the opportunity and the pleasure to experience this treasured asset in the community, to be able in a very small way to help endear their vision so that other folks in our community and region can enjoy the same things that we did growing up.”

INSIDE HARPER EVENT CENTER

“My parents aren’t here now, but I know they would be very proud of the support the foundation has given,” Betsy Murphy said. “The Zoo is obviously very important for our community and the whole region, and it’s a wonderful learning tool for all ages.”

Murphy serves First Westroads Bank as Chairman and CEO. The bank and its employees also have a history of proudly supporting of the Zoo. “First Westroads Bank, like most of our great businesses in the community, has been involved with the annual membership drive and we have employees who’ve been excited not only to volunteer, but to participate,” he said. “When we were celebrating our 50th anniversary we wanted to do something special for our employees and customers; what a way to align with a great asset in our community, the Zoo! So, we planned a celebration around that.”

celebrating

125 years!

AERIAL VIEW OF HARPER EVENT CENTER

CONTINUED

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:02 PM Page 48

OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM

CELEBRATING 125 years!

More information is available at www.OmahaZoo.com

EUGENIA IS A FEMALE AFRICAN ELEPHANT CALF BORN IN JANUARY, 2022 TO HER MOTHER KIKI AND FATHER CALLEE

SONNY IS A MALE CALF, BORN IN JANUARY, 2022 TO MOTHER CLAIRE AND FATHER CALLEE

AT APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS OLD, SONNYSONNY AND EUGENIA, WITH WATCHFUL MOTHERS, ENJOY A TRIP OUTSIDE TO EXPLORE

48

Two African elephant calves were born at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in January 2022: Eugenia, a female, on January 7, and Sonny, a male, on January 30. These are the first and only two African elephants born in Omaha and will be the only two African elephants born this year in the United States. They represent a new generation of possibilities for an African elephant population in desperate need of growth. They are critical pieces in a much larger plan of population sustainability and species conservation, as is the work of accredited zoos like Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

This work is vital as we work toward overall population growth instead of its current decline.

Omaha’s Zoo and Aquarium set a course to assist African elephants in 2016 when we opened our current elephant habitat in the Scott African Grasslands. This effort was part of the master plan that came to completion in 2021.

The master plan transformed the Zoo into a parklike atmosphere with great homes for the animals, better viewing experiences and more educational opportunities.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is dedicated to the plan for population sustainability and species conversation. Our team is focused on many endangered species to ensure they will be part of the world for future generations. We have dedicated teams and breeding facilities for amphibians, cheetahs and tigers, and also focus on reproductive processes such as artificial insemination, to work toward this goal.

The historic birth of these two elephant calves—like every birth at the Zoo—represents every part of the Zoo’s mission: to inspire with historic first births and world-class immersive exhibits at our Zoo, to educate visitors about animals, and to engage the community in conservation efforts helping not only elephants, but all animals and their habitats.

When it comes to conservation, there is always more to do and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is committed to these efforts that encompass our mission.

We also know the people of Omaha consider us ‘their Zoo’ and we take that responsibility very seriously.

Thank you for supporting Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium!

Dennis Pate President and CEO, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

mmagazine • Omaha zOO FOundatiOn 2022

7-48-Helv-ZOO125-GUIDE-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/7/22 3:02 PM Page 49

metroMAGAZINE INVITES YOU TO...

ENJOY A

exclusively on Spiritofomaha.com

virtual tour

of many of the exhibits and amenities at omaha’s Henry doorly zoo and Aquarium with world-renowned local photographer Jim Scholz

view the entire gallery of images on our website, selected from over 250 original photos provided by Scholz Images

50-53-WwWow-422.qxp_- 4/7/22 10:10 PM Page 50

presents

WOMEN WHO

WOW IT’S SO important, MORE THAN ever: ‘REAL WOMEN AREN’T perfect AND PERFECT WOMEN AREN’T real.’ ~ Makayla McMorris

MAKAYLA MCMORRIS story by kara schweiss | photography by jiM scholz

50

mmagazine • apriL/may 2022

50-53-WwWow-422.qxp_- 4/7/22 10:10 PM Page 51

• mmagazine

PRESENTS

women who wow

• MAKAYLA MCMORRIS

continued

50-53-WwWow-422.qxp_- 4/7/22 10:10 PM Page 52

presents

WOMEN WHO WOW

MAKAYLA MCMORRIS

Makayla McMorris isn’t afraid to take calculated risks, from competing on a reality tV show to leaving a successful career in media marketing for a challenging position in university communications.

University of Nebraska Omaha’s Chief Communication and Marketing Officer, Makayla McMorris, is not a typical university executive.

The webpage for her department, the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications, reveals a playfulness and flair for unique presentation; hover over her professional portrait with your cursor and an animation pops up of McMorris laughing with gusto.

“I recently changed the name of our department. The team kind of pushed back on it: ‘Why do we need to change our name?’ And I said, ‘We have to change our name.’There is so much going on in terms of the new way we are doing business as a university. We have new leadership, we have things changing, we’re diversifying. We have to ride this wave,” McMorris said. “If we don’t treat ourselves as a department within the university, we’ll always been seen as an outsider looking in. So, yes, we have to change our name and it’s going to liberate and keep top talent within our department feeling good about the work they’re doing.”

Since joining UNO in 2018, McMorris has expanded the team from 17 to 26, and they’ve earned 20-plus statewide and national industry awards and recognition.

“We have solid talent on this team. We laugh, we enjoy the work we do. It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun when you have a team of individuals that trust you and you trust them,” she said. “I’m looking for people who can be their natural self, who are encouraging of others and are authentic, because I think that’s the beauty of what we do: we are storytellers.”

Manifestor McMorris’s executive coach, Melissa Klein, calls her a “manifestor.”

“I would say that is definitely me,” McMorris said.

“I’m really happy where I’m at, leading a team that is focused on external marketing, branding, internal communication, web development, events, crisis management—all of those things allow me that ability to jump into one thing, solve a problem, help the next, all while keeping my creative brain—which is my core—going.” ing.”

McMorris is creative in that she’s good at finding solutions, and she’s also creative in the artistic sense.

“I wrote, produced and starred in my own show when I was at Nebraska Wesleyan called ‘Beats of Evolution,’” she said. “A lot of people don’t know this about me, but there was a large past of mine where I moved to California and pursued acting and dancing. I did a couple of music videos, some award shows, and I was actually one of the finalists for the movie “Freddy vs. Jason,” (2003) but the role ended up going to Kelly Rowland from Destiny’s Child.”

In 2008, McMorris and husband Kenny were contestants on an ABC reality show called “Here Come the Newlyweds.”

“It was nine couples picked to live in a house for five weeks and compete for a half a million dollars. We got down to the final two…and lost,” she said. “If I were ever to write a book, it would be called ‘Second But First.’ I’m telling you, I’ve always been right on the cusp of something and never just got over that hurdle.

Even though, I feel really good about life.”

She added, “I definitely keep that part of my brain where you want to be creative and you want to be part of something and create it and see it through from start to finish. For that reason, this has been rewarding. But I for sure thought I was going to be a famous actress, dancer and choreographer.”

In May, McMorris will appear on “Family Feud.” It’s a “bucket list” item for her mother, who McMorris credits as sparking her love for giving back.

“From my mother I’ve learned how to give generously even when I ‘don’t have,’” McMorris said. “I think that’s one of the reasons I give back and allow myself to be part of boards and committees, because of the influence of a strong mother who gave to perfect strangers if she could; you get nowhere on your own,” she said, adding that her nonprofit service has included the Aksarben Foundation Women’s Ball Committee; the Metro Community College Foundation and Women’s Fund of Omaha boards of directors, and roles with Kaneko, the Omaha Equestrian Foundation and Girls, Inc., just to name a few.

McMorris’s work experience prior to UNO includes ownership of a day spa and several marketing executive positions.

“One of the things I always try to focus on is return on risk: ROR. I do believe in return on risk, but calculated risk. I have always been a risk-taker and a rule-breaker,” she said. “I also don’t like to be pigeonholed; there’s that saying that you pick one thing and master it.

But I think it’s healthy to say you’re a jack of all trades, especially today.’”

MAKAYLA MCMORRIS 52

mmagazine • apriL/may 2022

50-53-WwWow-422.qxp_- 4/11/22 4:46 PM Page 53

• mmagazine

This special feature is sponsored by planitinc.

I HAVE always BEEN A risk-taker AND A RULEBREAKER. I ALSO DON’T LIKE TO BE

pigeonholed.

~ Makayla McMorris

Authenticity over assimilation McMorris has mentored up-and-comers both formally and informally throughout her career. She and her husband Kenny, CEO for Charles Drew Health Center, are also parents to a 12-year-old son (“a ‘pre-teen,’ as he likes to call it”) and 8-year-old daughter.

“I will say one thing I tell a lot of young women these days, and it’s so important, more than ever: ‘Real women aren’t perfect and perfect women aren’t real.’ And I am as real as it gets. I make so many mistakes; I make at least one mistake a day. But you need to be able to fall forward,” she said.

It hasn’t always been that way, she said.

“Before I started at UNO, I was in media, and so in media and television and acting and dancing I had to be this perfect image. I would always equate myself to the perfect Black Barbie doll. I would wear extensions and I would straighten my hair and assimilate as much as possible to meet a standard of what I thought was acceptable.”

Her fear of not being accepted was validated at times, McMorris said.

“I remember a boss—I won’t tell you where—but it was a boss who in passing said, ‘Would you work with one of the reporters?

Because I think they should go to the same stylist you go to.’ And that’s when I was wearing extensions…the person I was being asked to work with was wearing her natural hair.

PRESENTS

If I were to remove my extensions and wash my hair I would look identical to the brave young reporter my boss was referencing to change.”

“Authenticity over assimilation” was an important personal step, she added. “At that time, I wasn’t brave enough to risk being deemed unprofessional in the eyes of my employer, and my hesitation was validated in that very encounter. It wasn’t until I started at UNO that I was brave enough to do what I did to my hair, which is considered microlocs. I took that leap of faith, when I knew we were going to be isolated for a period, to try it,” she said. “And it was the best decision I’ve ever made, but it was something I wanted to do 16, 17 years ago.”

McMorris pointed to the emotional Supreme Court hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as an example of what Black women experience as they climb as professionals.

“She stayed strong because she knew this moment was bigger than the long days she endured,” she said. “Judge Jackson and women like us who have a calling to lead by example have a sense that in big and small ways, you are making history. You have no choice but to take a deep breath, trust that your journey has prepared you for the moment, and just keep shining.”

women who wow

• MAKAYLA MCMORRIS

This special feature is sponsored by planitinc. planitinc. is dedicated to honoring women whose influence not only impacts the boardroom but the community.

“Welcome to

”

one of the largest and most prestigious meeting planning firms in the midwest omaha magazine B2B winners since 2008 national, regional and local meetings and events nationally recognized as a leader in the meetings & event industry supporting our community through our nonprofit work and the boards/organizations we are members of planitinc. has been providing event and meeting management solutions for over twenty years. we are a client-centric firm that provides unmatched service and professionalism. while proudly located in the midwest, our crazytalented event team works from NEW YORK to LA and everywhere in between.

your money

SWARTZBAUGH-FARBER & ASSOCIATES, INC.

write YOUR WAY THROUGH THE

“sunday night scaries”

Eighty percent of working adults in the U.S. have experience with this. It occurs at the end of the weekend and usually shows up around 4 p.m. No, it is not a special dinner guest; it is the “Sunday Night Scaries.” Symptoms may include stomach issues and sleeping difficulties. This version of anticipatory anxiety puts a damper on Sunday for many professionals who wonder if they made the most of their short weekend and dread the start of the workweek.

Recommendations abound for how to manage this sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. Individuals who suffer from this discomfort may want to start by trying something relatively low-key (so it doesn’t feel like adding another “homework” item to your list!). All you need is pen and paper to try these simple techniques.

Negative thoughts can flood your mind as Sunday starts to wind down. The first technique allows you to “voice” these premature thoughts and assumptions on a simple list. Getting these concerns on paper can color some of the stories you are telling yourself and offer an opportunity for you to challenge them. For example, maybe you write down, “The big event I am planning on Wednesday is going to be horrible” in the first column. Create a second column where you refute this statement by listing evidence to the contrary. In the example above, you may list out examples of past events you have planned that were successful. You may even list some of the “wins” that took place during said events. Writing down these anxious thoughts can often pop the power behind them.

26

mary drueke-collins The second strategy involves getting a jump start on your workweek. Creating a to-do list can help put your mind at rest. What sort of to-do list? It pays to be strategic by attacking the item that weighs heaviest on your mind. For example, are you stressed about planning lunches and dinners for the week? Start with a grocery list and meal plan. Are you worried about meeting your deadlines at work for the coming week?

Block time for big projects on your calendar or create a list of items you can ask colleagues for help with (delegation can ease some of your anxiety), so you know where to start your day Monday morning. This technique allows you to start your workweek with a sense of accomplishment!

If you are giving one of these ideas a go for the first time, try it on Sunday morning. Your “Sunday Night Scaries” may be lessened as a result of adding this new routine to your weekend schedule. One recommendation: try shutting down your laptop for this activity (if possible). There is something about writing by hand that causes your brain to engage in a manner not necessary when using technology. An additional perk to setting your laptop or smart phone aside is that you won’t find yourself getting distracted by social-media pings and email alerts.

For more information, please contact your trusted advisor at Swartzbaugh-Farber – ‘Client Centered – Client Advocates™.’

mMAGAZINE • APRIL/MAY 2022

Mary Vandenack, while a lawyer by profession, has studied extensively in mind/body areas of fitness and wellness. She is Yoga Alliance RYT-200, Power Pilates certified and ACE certified and has earned a Specialization in Foundation of Positive Psychology from University of Pennsylvania.

metroSPIRIT

• with MARY E. VANDENACK

CONSIDER positive intent In recent leadership articles and seminars, I am often seeing the phrase, “Assume Positive Intent.” Admittedly, I can’t fully embrace the concept. By way of example, a year ago to the day I write this, I was subject to cruel gaslighting from my then-life partner’s friend. The attack was dishonest, cruel and—frankly— abusive. Because my partner wanted to believe that his friend had good intentions, I tried to do the same but the fact is that trying to believe there were good intentions where there were not resulted in a lot of personal harm to me that could have been avoided had I simply called the behavior out as it was.

With that said, because we have all had experiences like this in life, it is easy to assume negative intent where there is none. I have seen this recently in a work situation after a merger of two businesses. The manager of one business assumed that some of the behaviors being engaged in by some of the employees of the second business were evidencing resistance to the merger. When the employees of the second business were asked about the behaviors, it was obvious that they were totally engaged in the merger but they had not been trained on how to transition to a new system so they continued to function in accordance with previous processes rather than letting work get undone.

In the personal realm, we can do the same thing. A friend of mine was recently upset because another friend had not responded to a voicemail or text. My friend assumed that the other friend was upset with her because she had not responded.

In actual fact, the other friend’s daughter had been in a car accident and she was trying to deal with urgent issues related to the accident and had not had time to respond to or contact anyone.

I have personally adopted the approach of considering positive intent first. By doing this, I avoid going immediately to defensiveness and possibly lashing out

at a person who really did have positive intent. This positions me to ask questions and seek clarification. When we do this, rather than immediately assuming what another person intended, we create the opportunity to discover the rationale behind the actions of others.

By engaging in conversations rather than assuming, we are able to navigate relationships differently. We may identify a gaslighter earlier in the process. Doing so allows us to function in a way that protects ourselves. With those who actually are engaging in actions with positive intent, we build communication and are able to establish trust.

Considering positive intent requires less consumption of our energy. Instead of fuming all day about an imaginary slight, if we ask a clarifying question, we can avoid the drama in our head. Consider how we sometimes react to Facebook posts and make assumptions about them that simply don’t bear out when we make a personal inquiry about the topic.

When you are on the other end of a behavior or comment that takes you down the road of drama, ask questions. Listen to the response with an open mind. If the person is actually being cruel, unprofessional or a jerk, it will be apparent and you can deal with that in a way that leaves you whole (which will be the subject of a different column) and not spend months trying to cope with it. When it is obvious that another person is acting unkindly, understand that it is about them, not you.

Walk away (and if your life partner doesn’t have your back—run). But most importantly, by asking questions and listening to the responses rather than making negative assumptions, you will salvage and build rewarding and meaningful relationships—in a time in this world when that really matters.

Email Subject: “Something NEW 2022!”

something DIFFERENT? 27

mMAGAZINE • APRIL/MAY 2022

planning matters

• WITH VW LAW

CALL IT A life plan It is very typical when I am discussing an estate plan with someone that they respond, “Oh, I have a will” and assume that means they have everything they need regarding estate planning. Comprehensive estate planners look at the bigger picture and engage in asset protection planning, incapacity planning, and income and estate tax planning as well as dealing with testamentary issues.

Foundation Estate Plan. The foundation estate plan includes a trust and/or will, financial powers of attorney and coordination of assets with the trust and will provisions. The foundation plan should be reviewed on a regular basis but particularly when there are life changes.

Incapacity Planning becomes extremely important if you or a family member becomes incapacitated. While many consider this a focus for seniors, anyone can sustain an injury or illness at any time. Incapacity planning includes health care decision-making as well as handling financial affairs. Financial powers of attorney

and health care powers of attorney are important aspects of incapacity planning. Incapacity planning should also consider your resources and how they would be deployed if you are incapacitated. Do you have appropriate insurance coverages in place?

mary e. vandenack

Care Planning. Life care planning is advance planning for the moment when you might need care. Typical goals of life care planning include coordinating longterm care needs with the foundation estate plan, protecting assets, considering care possibilities in advance of when they are needed and promoting the health, safety, well-being and quality of life of those who become incapacitated.

Asset Protection Planning considers preserving wealth and protecting assets from creditor claims. Asset protection plan is important for everyone. There are simple strategies that should be considered in every estate plan and more complex techniques that can be utilized when the situation merits.

Business Succession Planning. For business owners, business succession planning and estate planning go hand in hand. Business succession planning is about having a plan for your business if you become disabled or die. In particular, consideration should be given to how the value of your business will be available to your beneficiaries. This may be particularly important if a significant portion of the family wealth is the value of the business.

Income Tax Planning as Part of Estate Planning. Estate planning also considers income taxes. In the instance where someone owns a business, consideration should be given to current and long-term tax issues related to the business. With an increase in the estate tax exemption to over $12 million, planning to get a step up in basis of assets at death has significant importance.

Estate Tax Planning. For those with wealth in excess of the estate tax exemption, tax planning considers income and estate tax consequences and balances the factors. Innovating tax planning strategies have evolved with the changes in the estate tax realm.

Digital Asset Planning. In many cases, passwords die with you. In others, it is illegal for someone to use them after you have passed away.

Password managers and digital asset services have evolved to facilitate dealing with digital assets readily and should be considered in the estate planning process.

28

mMAGAZINE • APRIL/MAY 2022

Dr. Stephanie Vondrak is board certified by the American Academy of Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine to treat patients suffering from sleep apnea with sleep apnea appliances.

impact!

• YOUR DENTAL HEALTH

THE impact OF OVERCOMING DENTAL FEAR: meet anna Approaching my reception area, I glance over the counter at my next patient, who is visibly nervous.

Her hands clasped, not making a sound, she waits to meet me, the dreaded dentist. According to her mom, I will be the third doctor this year. The last appointment failed so miserably that general sedation in an operating room for basic fillings and extractions of loose baby teeth was presented as the only option. I study Anna’s face, and think to myself, “No worries, girl—we got this!”

With Anna, as with most fearful patients, trust was key. For Anna, it was not a previous “bad” experience or pain that triggered her fear, it was the concept of complete vulnerability that was unsettling. To understand Anna: she is a rule-follower, a straight-A student. She did not want to be difficult or to misbehave. Her fear was instinctive; it was the idea that I—a stranger—would be in her personal space and that she was not in control. And, in my experience, Anna is not alone.

To be a dentist or physician is an enormous responsibility. Our patients rely on our ability to communicate their needs and then deliver care in such a way that they feel safe and secure, and within this vulnerability, they can find trust. It works both ways.

In my life and practice, I have been amazed by the depth of consideration and kindness I have experienced in the doctor-patient relationship. Through cards, letters and thoughtful words, my patients have gone the extra mile to be supportive and thoughtful of me in difficult times. They have inspired and educated me on so many things from how to successfully cook a roast in a crockpot to parenting

stephanie vondrak d.d.s.

tips as new mom to advice on grieving and healing after the loss of my own mother. To reach this level of trust in my office requires commitment and time from both parties. It requires a mutual goal of achieving something worthwhile and moving forward together. Anna was no exception.

Ten months and eight “trust-building” visits later, we began the simple extractions and fillings.

We worked at a steady and slow pace, and Anna’s response was fantastic. She trusted and persevered, improving her home care and doing her part to achieve success. This was only the beginning. In the next phases of treatment, we developed Anna’s narrow upper jaw using dental facial orthopedic appliances designed to guide her growth, open her airway, enhance nasal breathing, and allow her permanent teeth to erupt into a healthier arch form. We straightened her teeth and used implants to replace the congenitally missing ones. Even more exciting, this intervention contributed to the reversal of her acid reflux diagnosis, helping her feel better and eliminating the need for medication.

I share this story for two reasons. First, I am so grateful that Anna was willing to place her trust in us. The opportunity to help her has been amazing and it is one that I will never forget. Anna is a true example of how impactful health-centered dentistry can be. Second, I believe Anna’s story is an excellent illustration of the power we all have as humans to positively impact one another when we take the time to recognize the opportunity before us.

In the next issue: Donna’s story!

envision your future: Prevent disease discover health! you deserve a beautiful, healthy sMile!

Dr. Stephanie Vondrak Dr. Ashley Rainbolt VONDRAK DENTAL (402) 402) 289 info@drvondrak.com

the choice is yours!

29

mMAGAZINE APRIL/MAY 2022

58-59-CVR-SCENE-422.qxp_EVENTS 4/7/22 3:57 PM Page 58

58-59-CVR-SCENE-422.qxp_EVENTS 4/7/22 3:57 PM Page 59

event galleries | charity support

updated local event info LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE GIVING GUIDE 2022!

Are you hosting a virtual or on-location event this year?

Go to SpiritofOmaha.com & CONNECT to the Greater Omaha community!

Create a FREE Account to promote & update your event information 365/24/7!

S FROM ON SERIES. MODEL VIRTUAL DISCUSSI AG AN EMENT DEVELOP MODEL M

keeping you connected in 2022!

59

mMAGAZINE • APRIL/MAY 2022

HAVING A

Photos courtesy Jeff Funk

Ball

Midlands Community Foundation 2022 Reflection Ball L-R: TOM ACKLEY, MCF BOARD PRESIDENT; TONEE GAY, MCF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR; CATHIE AND JOHN FULLENKAMP, 2022 REFLECTION AWARD RECIPIENTS; TAMMY AND JOHN WINKLER, 2022 REFLECTION BALL HONORARY CHAIRS.

L-R: LARRY AND JULIE JOBEUN, ELLEN AND

KEVIN DASHER

FRONT ROW L-R: KRISTA CARLSON, SARPY COUNTY COMMISSIONER ANGI BURMEISTER, TRISH DAVIDSON, STACI LAMBERT, AND LISA RYBAR BACK ROW L-R: SCOT BURMEISTER, PAPIO NRD BOARD MEMBER PHIL DAVIDSON AND MATT GOETZ

L-R: BOB AND HEATHER CZERWINSKI, KYLE AND LORA VOHL, BRIAN AND LAURA OSBORN, MELEA AND JASON HEADLEY

When: January 22, 2022 Where: Embassy Suites La Vista Why: Event held to honor Cathie and John Fullenkamp with the 2022 Reflection Award for their dedication to community growth, volunteer involvement and nonprofit philanthropy. The event also raises fund to support the needs of nonprofit organizations that provide programs and services in Sarpy and Cass counties in the areas of arts, community, economic development, education, health and human services.

Attendance: More than 400 organizations and individuals supported the gala.

Amount Raised: $150,000 Mission: The mission of Midlands Community Foundation is to be a catalyst for lasting impact in Sarpy and Cass counties and to give opportunities to organizations and individuals so that they can pursue their charitable goals.

FRONT ROW L-R: DONNA WILCOX, BRANDY JOHNSON, RHONDA HARRIS, JAN DAVIS, MEAGAN SUMMERFIELD, JILL GOVIER. BACK ROW L-R: MARTHA SOPINSKI, CATHIE PAJNIGAR, CARRIE KRIST, KATHY WENDLANDT, LEANNE SOTAK

L-R: KATIE AND NICK PIERCE, PAM AND ROD BUETHE, DONNA AND TOM LYNAM AND JASON BUETHE

Diamond Sponsors ♦ Adams & Sullivan, P.C., L.L.O. ♦ Fullenkamp, Jobeun, Johnson & Beller LLP Gold Sponsors ♦ CHI Health and Midlands Medical Staff ♦ E&A Consulting Group, Inc. ♦ Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. ♦ Meta ♦ Omaha Public Power District Wine Sponsor ♦ American Family Insurance

(Dan Grzywa, Terri Scholting, Ken Summerfield)

Corporate Sponsors ♦ ALS in the Heartland ♦ Bellevue Community Foundation ♦ Bellevue Public Schools Foundation ♦ Black Hills Energy 60

60-64-SCENE-FINAL.indd 60

For more information: (402) 991-8028 or www.midlandscommunity.org

L-R: KATHY MANN, JULIE KASUN, KATHY SULLIVAN, JENNIFER FETT

Silver Sponsors ♦ Five Points Bank ♦ FYRA Engineering ♦ Kuehl Capital ♦ Nebraska Medicine/UNMC ♦ Pinnacle Bank ♦ Rick Iske Insurance, Inc. ♦ Roloff Construction

Midlands Community Foundation’s 2022 Reflection Ball, held on January 22 at the Embassy Suites in La Vista, raised over $150,000. More than 400 organizations and individuals supported the gala.

Net proceeds from the event will support the needs of nonprofit organizations that provide programs and services in Sarpy and Cass counties in the areas of art, community, economic development, education, health and human services.

Corporate Sponsors (cont’d) ♦ Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska ♦ Catalyst Public Affairs ♦ First National Bank ♦ Frederick Brothers Rental ♦ Google ♦ HDR ♦ HomeCare Advisory Network ̵ Sarpy County ♦ Lutz ♦ Olsson ♦ PayPal ♦ Papillion Area Community Singers ♦ Premier Family Medicine ♦ Reinsch, Slattery, Bear, Minahan & Prickett ♦ Sarpy County Sports Commission ♦ Terry Calek and Lee Polikov ♦ Sherwood Homes/Lane Building Corp. ♦ Thompson, Dreessen & Dorner, Inc. ♦ Werner Enterprises

mMAGAZINE • APRIL/MAY 2022

08/04/2022 6:04 AM

A

Photos courtesy C41 Photography

ll

When: February 26, 2022 Where: CHI Health Center Why: AHA’s local donors, volunteers, and sponsors are united by a determination to ease the burden of cardiovascular diseases and stroke in Nebraska. Our goal is to provide meaningful experiences to recognize and engage such distinguished and generous support.

t

di-

Benchmark

American Heart Association Omaha Heart & Stroke Ball

on Ball

in -

SETTING A NEW

THE OMAHA HEART & STROKE BALL WAS SPONSORED BY WERNER ENTERPRISES AND WAS CHAIRED BY DEREK AND NICOLE LEATHERS OF WERNER ENTERPRISES. WITH THE THEME OF “DRIVING CHANGE”, THE PAIR KICKED OFF THE EVENING BY THROWING OUT A CHALLENGE TO SURPASS EVERY FUNDRAISING GOAL IN OMAHA BALL HISTORY. THEY SUCCEEDED AND THE EVENT RAISED NEARLY $1.4 MILLION.

Attendance: 500 Amount Raised: nearly $1.4 million Mission: To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.

For more information: Chris Shives, Chris.Shives@heart.org

n s to rsue

Sponsors: Werner Enterprises

n

ds and of n, EACH YEAR AT THE OMAHA HEART & STROKE BALL, THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION INTRODUCES THEIR CLASS OF “OMAHA SWEETHEARTS.” THIS STATE-WIDE PROGRAM PROVIDES MENTORSHIP IN ETIQUETTE AND COMMUNITY SERVICE TO GIVE YOUNG WOMEN THE TOOLS THEY NEED. AS A PART OF THE SWEETHEARTS PROGRAM, THESE OUTSTANDING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SERVE THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION THROUGH ADVOCACY, EDUCATION AND VOLUNTEERING.

EMCEES JOHN KNICELY AND LAUREN TAYLOR

CL & RACHEL WERNER

61

60-64-SCENE-FINAL.indd 61

BEST YEAR EVER! OUR CHAIRS JOINED OUR EMCEES ON THE STAGE TO ANNOUNCE THE NEWS

EILY MAXWELL AND WYATT VOLLERSTEIN (BACK) WITH 2022 HEART PRINCE JEREMIAH ROBBINS

mMAGAZINE • APRIL/MAY 2022

08/04/2022 6:04 AM

FUN AND

Photos courtesy Sharon R. Brodkey

Games

Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, Inc.

Rally 4 Kids 2022

When: March 3, 2022 Where: D.J. Sokol Arena on the Creighton University campus Why: Rally 4 Kids raises funds to provide safety, hope and well-being to our communities’ most vulnerable people.

Special Guests: Comedian and magician Ben Seidman Attendance: 300-plus Amount Raised: nearly $100,000 About: The Lutheran Family Services (LFS) mission is to express God’s love for all people by providing quality human care services that build and strengthen individual, family and community life. Our vision is safety, hope and well-being for all people.

Sponsors: Eva Swanson, KPMG, Cecil D. Bykerk, Scheels, Heafey Hoffman Dworak Cutler, UBT, Methodist, Rev Dr. William and Martha Moorhead, Tiffany and Stephen Henn, Physicians Mutual, Dvorak Law Group, Seim Johnson, Prism Advisors, Omni Inventive Care, Holland Basham Architects, The Flanery Family, Union Pacific, Greg and Lori Schilling, and Cassie and Mike Remmenga For more information: (402) 342-7038 or www.lfsneb.org

62

60-64-SCENE-FINAL.indd 62

mMAGAZINE • APRIL/MAY 2022

08/04/2022 6:05 AM

D

Photos courtesy Debra S. Kaplan

s

MARKING 100 WITH

Michael

of nc.

Omaha Home for Boys

100 Year Anniversary Celebration

022

When: March 8, 2022 Where: CHI Health Center Omaha

sity

MICHAEL OHER

-

Why: To celebrate 100 years of Omaha Home for Boys Attendance: 480 Mission: The mission of Omaha Home for Boys is to support and strengthen youth, young adults and families through services that inspire and equip them to lead independent, productive lives.

About: OHB’s continuum of care helps youth and families address immediate needs, plan for the future, and ultimately become productive members of our community. Programs focus on housing, education, employment, basic life skills, and mental and behavioral health.

n

hen

OHB YOUTH AND MICHAEL OHER

JEFF & MACY DEWISPELARE WITH MICHAEL OHER

For more information: (402) 457-7000

, orak

ng,

JACOB WHITNEY

JOEL & MEGAN JACOBS WITH MICHAEL OHER

Thank you!

OHB would like to thank everyone who made celebrating 100 years a successful, memorable day.

MICHAEL OHER WITH AN OHB YOUTH

Channel 94.1 Star 104.5 The Fountains Ballroom American National Bank Holmes Murphy Omni Inventive Care CFO Systems Unico RBC Wealth Management MCL Construction Pinnacle Bank D.A. Davidson Debra S. Kaplan Phil Lorenzen

Transform a Life. Strengthen a Community. | OHB.org 63

60-64-SCENE-FINAL.indd 63

mMAGAZINE • APRIL/MAY 2022

08/04/2022 6:06 AM

Photos courtesy Heartland Family Service

LOVE FOR ALL

Seasons

Heartland Family Service

“Carnival of Love” Gala

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO MADE THE HEARTLAND FAMILY SERVICE “CARNIVAL OF LOVE” GALA A SUCCESS!

THE PRODUCTION WAS HOSTED BY LOCAL RADIO PERSONALITY DAVE WINGERT AND AUCTIONEER MIKE BUNACH

Where: Virtual/Online Why: Raising Funds to Help Vulnerable Individuals and Families Special Guests: Dave Wingert Amount Raised: $200,000

GLENDA AND MARCOS HERNANDEZ WERE THE HONORARY CHARIS OF THE “CARNIVAL OF LOVE” GALA

THE CO-CHAIRS OF THE EVENT, HEARTLAND FAMILY SERVICE FRIENDS GUILD MEMBERS LIZ HAGESTAD AND NATALIE PETERSEN

Event Summary: Heartland Family Service raised over $200,000 to serve the most vulnerable individuals and families in our community at the annual “Carnival of Love” Gala. The “Carnival of Love” Gala is Heartland Family Service’s largest annual fundraiser, and all proceeds go to support more than 40 life-saving programs and services that Heartland Family Service offers to the thousands of clients served each year by the organization.

For more information: (402) 552-7447, SCartwright@HeartlandFamilyService.org, HeartlandFamilyService.org

64

60-64-SCENE-FINAL.indd 64

mMAGAZINE • APRIL/MAY 2022

08/04/2022 6:06 AM

1-6-LEAD SECTION-422.qxp_QUARTERLY 4/13/22 1:20 PM Page 7

6-7-LogoSoup-222.qxp_Layout 1 4/7/22 3:27 PM Page 66

SUPPORT these participating nonprofit partners in the 2021 Fall/Winter

Y

OU’RE IN GOOD COMPANY

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR PARTICIPATING NONPROFITS

6-7-LogoSoup-222.qxp_Layout 1 4/7/22 3:27 PM Page 67

edition of The Giving Guide & Event Book

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

68-70-ER-422.qxp_- 4/7/22 3:32 PM Page 68

EVENT REGISTER from our participating VENT REGISTER partners in the Enonprofit THE SALVATION ARMY

KIDS CAN COMMUNITY CENTER

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF OMAHA

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church.

Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

At Kids Can Community Center our mission is to educate, engage, and inspire children through early childhood care and out-of-school experiences.

We build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter.

Featured Event:

Featured Event:

Featured Event:

D.J.’s Hero Awards Luncheon

Can Do Awards Luncheon

Women’s Power Luncheon

Date: May 3, 2022

Date: May 5, 2022

Date: May 6, 2022

Event Description/Theme: The 24th annual D.J.’s Hero Awards Luncheon will honor 15 deserving Nebraska high school seniors with a $10,000 academic scholarship each. Funds raised from the luncheon support Salvation Army programs that help children living in poverty in the Omaha metro. Peggy and David Sokol partnered with The Salvation to establish the D.J.’s Hero Awards in memory of their son, D.J., in 1999.

Event Description/Theme: The Can Do awards celebrate the “can do” attitude in our community. Having a “can do” attitude makes things happen, breaks down barriers and finds resolution to issues facing our community to make it a better place. At the luncheon, we honor those in our community that exemplify this mindset through our Can Do Awards.

Event Description/Theme: The Women’s Power Luncheon is the perfect kick-off to Habitat Omaha’s 2022 Women Build.

It provides a venue for powerful Habitat Omaha advocates, both women and men, to rally around the mission of the Women Build: to recruit, educate and inspire women to build and advocate for affordable housing in our community. More than 400 women volunteers, many whom attend the luncheon, generously give their time to make the Women Build house a reality.

Location: CHI Health Center – Omaha

Location: Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District, 222 N. 10th St, Omaha, NE

Location: Hilton Omaha Time: 11:30am – 1pm

Time: 11:45am

Time: 11:30am–1pm Ticket Price: $75 Ticket Prices: • $85 (1 Ticket) • $850 (Table of 10)

Honorary Chairman: Gov. Pete Ricketts Attire: Business Casual Ticket Prices: • $150 Individual • $1,500 Table Sponsorship Attire: Business Attire Oral Auction: Yes Event Contact: Todd Andrews Todd.Andrews@usc.salvationarmy.org

The Salvation Army Todd Andrews, Director of Integrated Communications 10755 Burt St. • Omaha, NE 68114 (402) 898-7700 E-mail: Todd.Andrews@usc.salvationarmy.org

Raffle: Yes Attire: Business Casual Event Contact: Cliff McEvoy (402) 731-6988 ext. 212 • cmcevoy@kidscan.org

Event Contact: Becky Vinton (402) 884-2499 • bvinton@habitatomaha.org

Other Fundraising Events: • Omaha Mom Prom – February 26, 2022 • Do Good Days – May 10-12, 2022 • Neighborhood Night Out – August 2, 2022

Other Fundraising Events: • Habitat Omaha Golf Tournament – June 2, 2022 • Brew Haha – September 8, 2022

Kids Can Community Center 4860 Q St. • Omaha, NE 68117 (402) 731-6988 Email: cmcevoy@kidscan.org

Habitat for Humanity of Omaha 1701 N 24th St. • Omaha, NE 68110 (402) 457-5657

kidscan.org

habitatomaha.org

salarmyomaha.org

68

mMagazine • aPRiL/MaY 2022

68-70-ER-422.qxp_- 4/7/22 3:32 PM Page 69

2021 edition of The Giving Guide & Event Book VENT RFall/Winter EGISTER E

CHILD SAVING INSTITUTE

CHILDREN’S SQUARE U.S.A.

MIDLANDS HUMANE SOCIETY

Responding to the cry of a child.

To teach, every day, life skills and the values necessary for a successful life– one full of Caring, Contribution and Commitment.

To protect and nurture companion animals and enrich the lives of people who love them.

Featured Event:

Featured Event:

Featured Event:

Cabaret 2022

Chip in for Children Golf Event

Midlands Humane Society Annual Gala

Date: May 7, 2022

Date: May 12, 2022

Event Description/Theme: Cabaret 2022 – A night of comedy to benefit Child Saving Institute’s (CSI) services for the prevention, intervention and healing of child abuse, neglect and trauma. Come and enjoy an evening of cocktails, dinner and hilarity for a great cause!

Event Description/Theme: This event helps us raise additional funds that support programs for vulnerable children who are in or near crisis. Proceeds from this event help fund our behavior health, crisis services, education, treatment programs and special projects. We currently serve over 1,000 children and families each day in our many programs in Iowa and Nebraska.

Date: May 13, 2022 *Watch our website and social media for the most up-to-date details.

Location: Embassy Suites by Hilton Omaha La Vista Hotel and Conference Center 12520 Westport Pkwy.

Times: • 6pm – Cocktail Hour • 7pm – Dinner & Event Program • 8:30pm – Entertainment Event Chairs: Adrienne & Patrick Fay Gina & Nick Patrick Ticket Prices: • $175/$300 • Table sponsorships available Attire: Business Casual Raffle: Yes Event Contact: Anna Dwyer Events and Projects Coordinator (402) 504-3664 • adwyer@childsaving.org Other Fundraising Events: • PurseOnalities – Fall 2022 • Touch-A-Truck – Fall 2022 • Substitute Santa – December 2022

Event Description/Theme: Meet cat and dog ambassadors at Midlands Humane Society’s largest fundraiser of the year.

This family-friendly event is a can’t-miss! There will be hundreds of silent and live auction items to bid on and activities to keep everyone busy from beginning to end.

Location: Top Golf Omaha 908 N 102nd St. • Omaha, NE 68144

Location: Mid-America Center 1 Arena Way • Council Bluffs, IA 51501

Time: 5pm

Times: • 5pm – Doors Open • 6:30pm – Dinner

Ticket Prices: • $100 Individual • $600 Team (6 people) • $1,000 Corporate Sponsorship Attire: Casual Event Contact: Moira Mangiameli • (712) 322-3700 mmangiameli@childrenssquare.org

Event Chairs: Linda and Ed Kemp Co Chairs: Alex & Jamie Gum Ticket Prices: • $55 per seat • $550 per table • Event sponsorships are available

Other Fundraising Events: • Jason Awards – November 3, 2022 • Giving Tuesday – November 30, 2022

Attire: Business Casual

Children’s Square U. S. A. Council Bluffs, IA 51503 (712) 322-3700 E-mail: visitorcenter@childrenssquare.org

Other Fundraising Events: • Wag-A-Grams – Monday, February 14, 2022 • Wags & Wheels Car Show Sunday, August 28, 2022

childrenssquare.org

Midlands Humane Society 1020 Railroad Ave. • Council Bluffs, IA 51503 (712) 396-2264 Email: knelson@midlandshumanesociety.org

Child Saving Institute 4545 Dodge St. • Omaha, NE 68132 (402) 553-6000 Email: csiinfo@childsaving.org

Event Contact: Kori Nelson Director of Development and Marketing

midlandshumanesociety.org

childsaving.org

69

mMagazine • aPRiL/MaY 2022

continued

68-70-ER-422.qxp_- 4/7/22 3:32 PM Page 70

EVENT REGISTER from our participating nonprofit partners in the NEBRASKA HUMANE SOCIETY

SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL | OMAHA

PROJECT HOUSEWORKS

The Nebraska Humane Society saves, protects, and enriches the lives of animals in the communities we serve.

Dedicated to bringing volunteers together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person services to the community’s most vulnerable neighbors in need, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or age.

Providing free safety solutions and affordable housing for seniors and families in our community.

Featured Event:

Featured Event:

Featured Event:

Black Tie & Tails

13th Annual Strawberry Brunch

Brush Up

Date: June 10, 2022

Date: June 11, 2022

Date: August 20, 2022

Event Description/Theme: This gala puts the “fun” in fundraiser. It’s hosted by the NHS guild, “Friends Forever”, and they know how to throw a party! Black Tie and Tails combines heartwarming stories, VIP (Very Important Pet) appearances along with a spectacular silent auction, raise the paddle, cocktail hour and dinner, all to benefit the animals. Come commune with other pet lovers, benefit the cause, and help us spread the word about the great work we do. Need we say more?

Event Description/Theme: This much-loved event is now in its 13th year!

The Strawberry Brunch supports both the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s Food Pantry and the emergency financial assistance fund. When in person, this event offers host-themed tables where guests enjoy brunch and view the tablescapes for a lovely morning with family and friends. When virtual, we offer a recorded speaker and opportunities to give online.

Event Description/Theme: The Brush Up event is a free exterior paint service for senior homeowners provided by corporate sponsors and volunteer teams. In 2021, over 730 volunteers joined forces to paint 36 homes across the Omaha-Metro area! That would not have been possible without support from 38 corporate partners.

Location: A View West Shores 111 S. 243rd St., Waterloo, NE 68069 Time: 6pm – 9pm Co-Chairs: Taylor Cochrane and Leigh Brassette Ticket Prices: • $175 - $225, Sponsorships available Attire: Cocktail attire Silent Auction: Yes Event Contact: Gordon Krentz gkrentz@nehumanesociety.org Other Fundraising Events: • Walk for the Animals September 25, 2022 – NHS Meadow • Whine Fest – TBD

Location: Douglas and Sarpy Counties

Location: Please visit our website svdpomaha.com for more information on this event.

Time: 9am – 4pm

Time: 11am – 12pm

Attire: Work/Paint Clothes

Event Chairs: TBD*

Event Contact: Sara Sabaliauskas (402) 965-9201 sarasab@projecthouseworks.org

Attire: Casual Event Contact: info@svdpomaha.com Other Fundraising Events: • Stuff the Bus – check WOWT for dates • Annual Coat Drives/Giveaway – Fall 2022 Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha 71715 Izard St., Omaha, NE 68102 (402) 779-8499 Email: info@svdpomaha.com

Support Requested: • Corporate Sponsored Volunteer Teams

Project Houseworks 2316 S 24th St. • Omaha, NE 68108 (402) 965-9201 Email: brushup@projecthouseworks.org www.projecthouseworks.org

svdpomaha.com

Nebraska Humane Society Pam Wiese 8929 Fort St. • Omaha, NE 68134 (402) 905-3470 Email: pwiese@nehumanesociety.org nehumanesociety.org

70

mMagazine • aPRiL/MaY 2022

71-79-DJSOKOL-feature-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/12/22 10:30 AM Page 71

SUBMITTED CONTENT

THE missing piece

BY PEGGY SOKOL

remembering

D.J. SOKOL

71

mmagazine • aPRiL/maY 2022

71-79-DJSOKOL-feature-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/12/22 10:30 AM Page 72

REMEMBERING D.J. SOKOL

In 1997, 15-year-old D.J. Sokol was diagnosed with cancer. His mother tells the story of his illness, treatment and death at age 18, and she shares what came next as she still copes with grief and how she keeps D.J.’s memory alive today.

D.J. & PEGGY sokol 72

mmagazine • aPRiL/maY 2022

71-79-DJSOKOL-feature-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/12/22 10:30 AM Page 73

StORY bY Peggy Sokol • PhOtOS PROviDeD cOuRteSY Of the Sokol fAMIly AlBUM

• mmagazine

A PIECE FROM THE

family gameboard IS MISSING FALL 1996

By October, the mass was growing again. We were fortunate to buy a vacation home in sunny, warm Life was good and my family and I had the world by Florida so D.J. could put some distance between the tail. Finally, after enduring a dozen moves across the country, we were back in our hometown of Omaha. himself and his doctors. In Florida, he could be a typical 16-year-old and especially enjoyed spring My husband Dave’s hard work was being noticed and his career was taking off. break.

I was busy handling the home front and volunteering. I was a proud stay-at-home mom to two beautiful teenagers: Kelly, 18, and Dave Jr. (D.J.), 15. Kelly was a college freshman attending Wake Forest University in North Carolina and D.J. was a sophomore at Mount Michael Benedictine High School in Nebraska. Our life was blessed.

ILLNESS D.J. had grown into a big guy (so handsome!). At 6foot-2, 230 pounds, my baby was coming into his own and enjoying life. He was happiest when playing football and basketball or his guitar.

In February 1997, a change in his appetite and lingering cold symptoms prompted a visit to our local doctor’s office. A simple blood test came back with “some irregularities,” which led to a chest X-ray. The X-ray showed a mass in his chest the size of a grapefruit. A surgical biopsy determined it was Hodgkin’s lymphoma– cancer .

So D.J. could continue his schooling, we chose a lymphoma cancer specialist in Omaha. That physician determined we should opt for three months of chemotherapy with follow-up radiation.

D.J. finished chemo treatments on his 16th birthday, May 29, 1997. He tolerated radiation a month or so later. We were jubilant that all was well. Our joy, however, was short-lived.

remembering

D.J. SOKOL

D.J. underwent a stem cell transplant in early 1998.

We again thought the disease was in remission. By late spring of his junior year, however, the mass returned. This time his physician recommended highdose radiation.

We kept in mind that Hodgkin’s disease has a curable rate of 95 percent; despite the setbacks, we were still optimistic. D.J. wanted to rid himself (and so did we) of the inconvenience of cancer. He was ready to get back to his merry way of life. Mount Michael, D.J.’s prep school, was understanding about absences and allowed him to catch up whenever he felt up to it. His classmates and teachers were people he could always count on. Mount Michael is a close-knit community in which the boys board on weekdays. These are good young men. Nearly every one of his 36 classmates told me that D.J. was his best friend. We try to continue staying in close contact, although it can still be emotionally challenging.

Always thinking of others first, D.J. insisted that his father and sister attend to their daily schedules, encouraging them to travel. So it was usually just D.J. and I handling the day-to-day happenings. He was never one to complain, but I could always tell when D.J. started feeling lousy. He would quietly tuck himself into our master bedroom with me sleeping close by.

CONTINUED

71-79-DJSOKOL-feature-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/12/22 10:30 AM Page 74

REMEMBERING D.J. SOKOL

THE missing piece While I had significantly cut back on my charity work, I was still busy planning one event, the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Friends of Eppley Cancer Center Gala. This first gala was set for fall 1998. (I have stayed involved after my family inspired me to help raise funds for other families in a similar situation.)

Dressed in a tuxedo, my handsome D.J. spoke to the audience of 1,250 about his tribulations. You could hear a pin drop as everyone in the room held on to every encouraging word D.J. said that night. He closed by saying he was going to beat cancer. I was so proud of him; he was so polished. General Norman Schwarzkopf flew in for the event. As one of American Cancer Society’s most recognizable survivors, he was the featured speaker. A highlight for my family was giving the general a lift back to Florida. What a fun flight!

SETBACKS But once again, our respite from cancer was far too brief. By early 1999, D.J. was complaining of upper back pain. He and I shared some tears, as we both knew what this meant. Plans were quickly made for him to undergo a bone marrow transplant at UNMC. The transplant was to take place around the time of his high school graduation.

Kelly, Dave and I were all tested as potential bone marrow matches. While I was the closest match, his transplant team determined we needed to apply for a donor.

On a much happier note, around this same time, D.J. was accepted to Creighton University. We kept ourselves busy that spring buying and furnishing a small starter home in midtown Omaha.

D.J. and his high school buddies had some fun hours planning for their first

residence together as college students.

In February, we traveled to New York when Dave was invited to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. D.J. stood proudly alongside his dad, but I noticed his strength waning. I hardly left his side while simultaneously trying to be not-too-interfering. Quietly, D.J. admitted to me his fear. Although we had always said and felt we were in this battle with him, at that point I realized this was ultimately his battle to face alone.

By spring, our anonymous bone marrow donor signed on. We met Dr. Stefano Tarantolo, who would perform the transplant. Doctor T was encouraging.

He said D.J. was an excellent candidate for the procedure considering his “tender age.” Finally, D.J. would be rid of the cancer cells while the new bone marrow created healthy ones. We were buoyed.

Because of the timing of his transplant, D.J. graduated early from high school.

We held a private ceremony in April at our home, complete with Mass.

Attending were his classmates, several of the monks, and his favorite teachers.

We all enjoyed a barbecue dinner afterward. I remember trying to wake D.J. from a nap that afternoon; it was difficult because he was so exhausted.

By late April, D.J. checked into the hospital. He spent his senior prom in his hospital room with his girlfriend, Brooke.

A few of his high school buddies dropped by with their dates. Dressed in their formals, the kids enjoyed dinner.

They laughed all evening in the hospital room. Meanwhile, Kelly was finishing her college studies so she could be home for the transplant set for May 7.

74

The bone marrow procedure itself was uneventful—infused bags of clear liquid. Afterward, we ate birthday cake for D.J.’s birthday later that month, but he couldn’t keep it down. I stayed with him those first nights.

We were so excited when his new bone marrow started producing about ten days later. But we soon learned D.J.’s lungs had hemorrhaged during this process due to damage sustained from his prior treatments. He fell into a critical state and was placed on a ventilator. The doctors put D.J. into an induced coma to allow his lungs to heal.

There were so many machines beeping that we played music by Enya loudly to help mask the sounds. (To this day—no offense to the singer—none of us can listen to her music.)

Dave took over the bedside night shifts with Doctor T as a companion. Because I wear my emotions on my sleeve, I knew my shaky voice would surely give away that my boy had suffered a setback. Kelly and I made several short visits to the hospital daily, each day ending with a retreat to the hot tub to share many tears.

After two long weeks, it appeared D.J.’s breathing was coming back, so the doctors lifted his medically-induced coma. When D.J. came to, he seemed to recognize us. He even tried to speak, although he was still quite groggy.

Kelly and I left the hospital excited.

But that night, D.J.’s temperature spiked. As a result, he went into cardiac arrest. He was revived, but his condition was more critical than ever.

He had developed a lower extremity blood clot. In less than 12 hours, my baby boy went from being the miracle patient on 10th floor to being the

mmagazine • aPRiL/maY 2022

71-79-DJSOKOL-feature-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/12/22 10:30 AM Page 75

cOntinueD

•

mmagazine

remembering d.j. sokol D.J. foUght So bravely AnD wAnteD lIfe. ISn’t thAt All anyone At SUch A young Age wAntS? ~ Peggy Sokol, mOtheR Of D.J. SOKOL

D.J. SOKOL WITH CLASSMATES AT MOUNT MICHAEL BENEDICTINE SCHOOL IN ELKHORN, NEBRASKA

remembering

D.J. SOKOL

CONTINUED

71-79-DJSOKOL-feature-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/12/22 10:30 AM Page 76

REMEMBERING D.J. SOKOL

THE missing piece sickest person in the hospital. By midMay, more specialists were called in.

Despite our insurance company refusing to cover the expense, we insisted on a complete head-to-toe set of scans to know precisely how best to proceed. We knew D.J.’s recovery would be a long one, but we were ready to face whatever was to come our way that summer.

The scans on the first two days showed nothing. On the third day they revealed a massive infection in D.J.’s brain. It was determined that if—a big if—D.J. were to survive, he would have suffered severe, disabling brain damage. My precious, beautiful boy!

We needed to let him go.

D.J. passed away two weeks after his 18th birthday on June 11, 1999.

GRIEF The funeral took place at Creighton University’s St. John Cathedral. Our son had made it to Creighton, but not in the manner any one of us had planned.

Nevertheless, through the fog of what I recall, the events were beautiful and blessed. The church was packed with more than 2,000 people in attendance.

The same could be said of the rosary held the evening before at Mount Michael. For being only 18, D.J. certainly impacted many.

instead? I had prayed so hard to God. God knew I couldn’t live without my child. And why was D.J. denied the chance to leave our nest and soar? Why were we cheated out of the opportunity to witness it? Every negative emotion overtook me. I was distraught because the anguish and pain were relentless. I could physically feel a gaping open wound that was invisible to others. I couldn’t sleep much. One of the pieces of my family’s gameboard was missing, and I did not want to play anymore. I wasn’t strong enough.

And yes, I was angry. Angry at our reality. Angry at doctors. Angry at God. I was angry, period.

When I saw most of our physicians after D.J.’s death, many wouldn’t approach me. If they did, they’d make small talk without mentioning my son.

Only sweet Doctor T continued to stay in touch. He’d call me at my worst times, asking how we were all doing.

Doctor T reaching out always made me feel a little less alone in my grief. I suppose lesser physicians go onto their next patient while making themselves feel better by thinking at least they tried.

I visited the cemetery often those first few years. I would envision covering myself up with leaves to lay next to But just as D.J. was alone with his him. Having been D.J.’s caregiver, illness, I was now alone with my grief.

I suddenly was unanchored. I tried Like an old dog, I wanted to lick my picking up the shattered pieces of our wounds. My twin sister and best lives, only to get cut over and over friends tried to be my sounding board. again by the sharp edges. In some But, early on I realized that just by ways, I envied Dave being able to talking, I was tormenting them. My escape through his career. Plus, I was favorite comfort line for years was, also relieved knowing Kelly was now “Each tear you shed is one less I need off working in Washington, D.C.; at least she didn’t have to witness me at to.” Kelly was also good with keeping in touch when she felt strong enough. my worst.

I realized at the funeral that beautiful Brooke, D.J.’s sweetheart, had truly loved him. Dave thought it best to let Brooke move on since she was only 19, but Brooke grew to be my constant companion. She, too, needed tenderness while holding onto memories. For years, we held hands at It has been said in our deepest grief we the cemetery, especially around Dave and I have always offset each can experience crossover into the next birthdays, holidays, and the anniversary realm. In those first days, during a fitful other. Looking back, I’m sure I scared him with my totally-coming-undone. But, of his death. I was thrilled when she sleep, I felt a kiss on my cheek. I finally married and started a family. gained comfort in knowing this was D.J. to me, his actions seemed robotic and My devastation, however, was only just non-emotional. Dave was worrying that I was being too emotional around Kelly. Living life was so hard in the early beginning.

I felt it was important for her to learn a stages of grief. Routine errands could turn me into a mess. I was often mother’s love is immeasurable and I was 41. When D.J. took his last reminded of D.J. by a song, a familiar forever (she knows now with girls of breath, I felt it had been my last one, route we used to travel, or Zio’s Pizza her own). too. Why couldn’t it have been me I spent days, nights, weeks pouring over old photos thinking I could keep D.J. close even if only in my mind and heart. A counselor told me this would be my first thought each morning for at least seven years. How true that turned out to be. Daunting!

76

mmagazine • aPRiL/maY 2022

71-79-DJSOKOL-feature-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/12/22 10:30 AM Page 77

cOntinueD

•

mmagazine

remembering d.j. sokol FOREVER CHANGED

carry with us. While it has taken me a long time, I am now stronger in my D.J.’s death was unfair for all of us, faith. D.J. was too special not to be in but especially for him. He missed out a good place. When my time comes, I on so much of life. We would have plan to be at peace buried beside him. I loved to share so many experiences with him. It was unfair for Kelly, whose don’t see this as a morbid thought, rather a comforting one. It seems far mother lives between a grave and a off, although I know I am getting older vivacious daughter. I recognize her attempts to double her attention. Also, each day. it was unjust for Dave, who worked so hard during D.J.’s childhood, planning Our family has combined our loss and on enjoying a better life with his son his memory with several annual later on. scholarship events. It is humbling seeing these young people who are his I still shake with emotion at our reality. eternal age facing some very real Our extended families tried to stay It has been over two decades since we adversity in their young lives. D.J. close, but this would make me miss D.J. lost D.J. There is no getting over his fought so bravely and wanted life. Isn’t all the more. It was awkward and hard death. My grief is still genuine, that all anyone at such a young age for everyone. I’m slowly coming around. although it is no longer all-consuming. wants? So, I now try to pattern my life I admit the bad days are getting rarer, But it is still very difficult for me to after his. I think I have found a better with longer periods of “okay” in smile during others’ happy milestones balance today of remembering him between, and I’ll occasionally have a in life. Sometimes it takes all the while engaging in good happenings. energy I have to send a card along with sad thought followed by more positive ones. I guess acceptance does happen. our good wishes for graduations, I have accepted that I am no longer the I still catch glimpses of D.J., but I see weddings and births; what I wouldn’t person I was when D.J. was alive. I am him now in my family. Our eldest give to see D.J. celebrating any one of granddaughter is 15, the same age D.J. forever changed, but I am proceeding these events. was when he was diagnosed. Her forward. Just don’t judge me on how birthday reminded me of how very stellar I am doing that.

People don’t know what to say to young and innocent he was to have had someone who is grieving. I still don’t. cancer thrust upon him.

Without a doubt, every loved one’s But I do know it is most hurtful to say death is sad. Dave and I have lost both nothing. If whatever you say is of our parents and some siblings. But I I pray that he is proud of his family. I pray he is proud of me. heartfelt, the grieving person will know. no longer view all deaths as tragic.

Once the sadness subsides, you can Real friends stay close. Others not so celebrate the lives of those who had much. It is harder to be friends when I LOVE YOU, D.J., time to experience whatever their life things aren’t perfect.

FOREVER AND ALWAYS—MOM had to offer. A child’s death, however, I get tired of being told, “Get over it.” I is tragic. When you bury a child, you bury their future. want to scream, “What if this were your child? You would hope they would I think about what D.J. might have be remembered and honored.” I also become. A banker? A businessman? A get defensive when others say, “You father? If so, of how many children? need to move on.” What does that These are questions I ask myself every mean? Oh, and then there is, “God day. But, unfortunately, I will never doesn’t give anyone more than they can know the answers. I do know that in his short life, D.J. taught us lessons we all handle.” Oh, please! (his favorite). I’d often catch glimpses of him—or so I thought—walking down the street carrying a guitar or driving the car beside me sporting a baseball cap. Or I could swear I’d hear his voice.

A similar profile or physical attributes would give me false and fleeting hope that he was still alive, and I’d think to myself, “Silly me! This has all just been one bad dream.” Weird, I know.

Whenever this would happen, I’d find myself rushing home to curl up in a sobbing ball.

remembering

D.J. SOKOL

CONTINUED

71-79-DJSOKOL-feature-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/12/22 10:30 AM Page 78

REMEMBERING D.J. SOKOL

THE missing piece

remembering d.j. sokol

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE

I Do know thAt In hIS Short lIfe, D.J. tAUght US lessons we All carry wIth US. ~ Peggy Sokol, mOtheR Of D.J. SOKOL

GENERAL NORMAN SCHWARZKOPF JR., PEGGY SOKOL, D.J. SOKOL AND DAVID SOKOL.

78

mmagazine • aPRiL/maY 2022

CAPTIONS PROVIDED BY PARTNER/SOURCE

71-79-DJSOKOL-feature-422.qxp_MASTER: 16PP+ 4/12/22 10:30 AM Page 79

1-6-LEAD SECTION-422.qxp_QUARTERLY 4/13/22 1:57 PM Page 80

0-CVRS-422.qxp_QUARTERLY 4/7/22 3:49 PM Page CVR3

0-CVRS-422.qxp_QUARTERLY 4/7/22 3:49 PM Page CVR4

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE

P.O. Box 241611 Omaha, NE 68124

PAID OMAHA, NE PERMIT NO. 2013